All I Want For Christmas
by o0MissBennet0o
Summary: Can Temperance Brennan be charmed by the magic of Christmas?
1. Plotting

**A/N: Hello!!! So here I am again with a new fic. All my other fics will be on hold until the Christmas season is over as I'm now comitted to this new one, and hopefully, it'll be over by the 25th. Just a little Christmas loving to get us through the days!!!**

**Also, a HUGE thank you to bertie456 for being an angel to me with this fic and revising all the work!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

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"Honey, you're not listening to me," said Angela as she watched her best friend, her brow furrowed in concentration as her eyes flickered across the open and clearly fascinating case file in front of her.

"No, I'm not, Ange," Brennan said simply, not even bothering to look up to acknowledge the glare she knew as coming from the other side of the table. "I'm trying to work."

"And you're doing a wonderful job," Angela said with a smile, leaning over the desk and snatching the file Brennan was reading.

"Angela..." protested the anthropologist, her voice dangerously close to a whine.

"I'll give you the file back when I'm done talking, okay?" Brennan huffed in frustration, seeing no option other than listening to Angela, now that she'd learned that using karate moves on your best friend was socially frowned upon.

"Fine, but just so you know, this is a very childish attitude," she said, leaning back on her chair while crossing her arms beneath her breast with what could also be construed as a childish attitude.

Angela sighed, placing the hostage-file on her lap before resuming her previous, one-sided conversation. "As your best friend, I refuse to let you spend this entire Christmas season working."

Brennan rolled her eyes, uncrossing her arms as she gazed at Angela. "I fail to see the problem with me working at this time of year. It's very similar to almost every other time of year, except marginally colder."

"It's not the cold that's the point, Bren. It's the Christmassy goodness. What I'm saying is that I want you to get out of the lab occasionally and participate in festive activities," Angela explained slowly, her eyes sparkling like fairy lights.

"Activities such as..?" asked Brennan, arching a slender eyebrow in question.

"Such as shopping, picking a tree, getting drunk on egg-nog, you know... Have fun doing Christmas stuff." The unimpressed look on Brennan's face told her she wasn't convinced and Angela sighed sadly. "It's honestly not that scary, you know."

"What's not scary?" asked Brennan.

"Being happy, Bren. It's not that scary to let yourself be happy," said Angela, placing her warm hands on Brennan's cold ones. "You deserve it. And you don't have a reason to talk your way out of the Christmas spirit this year."

"What's your reasoning?" she inquired, curiously.

"Well, let's see... You know what happened to your parents when they left, your brother and father are back. Admittedly, in somewhat strange circumstances, but they're here. You have the most fabulous friends a girl can wish for and a very envied job. All you need to complete the picture is something hot to warm the other side of the bed. And I don't mean a hot water bottle," she replied, laughing when Brennan glared at her.

"I might agree on some of the things, but even so, just because I know what happened to my parents, doesn't mean that the knowledge erases the years I spent alone wondering."

"I'm not saying it does, but you can't hide behind your past anymore, sweetie. It hurts, I know, and it'll probably always hurt a little bit, but you have to find a way to move on with your life. If you look back for too long, you'll always miss what's ahead of you," said Angela, smiling as she saw the contemplative look on Brennan's face and guessing she was close to giving in. Unfortunately no-one had ever accused Brennan of being weak minded.

"You know I hate psychology," she said, crossing her arms again as if saying that the conversation was over. However, like a dog with a squeaky festive bone, Angela was never one to give up easily.

"Sure you hate psychology, but you can't deny that I'm right. Besides, what's the downside on spending the Christmas holiday with people you care about?" If Angela wanted this to go her way, she would have to play a little dirty. "Besides, how can I enjoy the holiday season when my best friend in the entire world is locked in this cold, cold lab?" she completed with her best lost-puppy look.

Unfortunately, Brennan saw right through it. "You're not getting me to agree to this by making me feel guilty. I don't buy that anymore," she shot back, feeling a small surge of pride as Angela huffed in frustration.

"You know, sometimes I really hate how much you've learned from Booth," the artist replied with faked annoyance, knowing that she was proud of how much her friend changed since the FBI agent came into their lives. Even if said agent had created a monster.

"You just hate the fact that now I'm able to resist your manipulations."

"Just so you know, I'm offended that you'd think that of me." Temperance raised her eyebrows and Angela shrugged. "Okay, but can you blame me? It was hard enough already to get you out of this damn lab when you weren't aware of my very subtle, barely there manipulation. Now, I can't get you to go anywhere with me!"

Brennan leaned back in her chair, her eyes focused on Angela as she contemplated her words. "You're trying to manipulate me again, aren't you?"

"Damn," Angela said, laughing when Brennan started to smirk. "You're getting too good at this."

"I know. Booth taught me well," Brennan said, smiling at her best friend. She was considering Angela's proposition, but it was always fun to watch her friend while she was being beaten at her own game.

"Okay, so… Manipulations aside, please consider what I said. You can't spend the season working," Angela said, desperately wanting her best friend to be unreasonable, illogical and careless even for a moment. She would love to see Temperance Brennan let loose for once in her all too organized life.

"Why would I celebrate Christmas? I don't even believe in God," said Brennan.

"You don't have to celebrate the birth of Jesus. You can just celebrate the end of another year or the fact that you have loyal friends and a loving family," getting up, she walked around the desk to come closer to Brennan's chair. Dropping the file on the desk, she placed her hand on Brennan's arm.

"Just think about it okay? Like I said, it's not that scary." With a final smile and a squeeze of her arm, Angela made her way out of the office, catching Brennan's reluctant parting words.

"I'll think about it".

* * *

Outside her office, the pathology lab was quiet as Cam, Zach and Hodgins were all concentrated on their jobs. Their latest body wasn't decomposed, since it was a fresh kill, so Brennan wasn't needed in the investigation. Booth also wasn't involved as another agent had asked Cam to work on it as a personal favor, since she apparently knew him from her previous job.

Hodgins had being needed to identify the particles found under the victim's fingernails and hair. Zach, having nothing else to do, decided to help with the body, even if bone people should only do bone things.

When Angela entered the room, nobody moved to acknowledge her presence, being too invested in their work. Sitting beside Hodgins, she watched as he typed something on the keyboard and a number of different screens opened. She sighed loudly, hoping to get his attention.

It didn't work.

Shifting on her chair, she brought her face a bit closer to his and sighed again, this time in an almost theatrical manner. Hodgins brought his eyes up to meet his girlfriend's eyes, frustration written all over his features.

"Will you stop that?" he said, turning his eyes back to the screen. "It's not exactly helpful to the identification process."

"What's up with the attitude?" she asked, amused with his attempt to be intimidating. It was cute, really.

"I haven't forgiven you for what you did last night," he said sulkily, scrolling down as he continued to read the information.

"Will you let it go? It was one lousy cockroach!" she said as he turned to face her again.

"You didn't have to kill her!" he said, offended.

"What did you want me to do? Sing it to sleep? It was walking all over my canvas, getting its disgusting little cockroachy feet on my paintings!" she said, inadvertently attracting Cam and Zach's attention as she vehemently defended herself.

"You didn't have to kill her! You could have shown that beautiful, highly evolved creature some love," Hodgins said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, well… I can think of another highly evolved creature that won't be getting love any time soon," Angela said, her meaning not lost on him as he contemplated his options. Mourning for his dead sex life was definitely worse than mourning for the poor dead specimen of Periplaneta americana.

"So what can I do for my goddess today?" he asked, and Angela laughed out loud. Hodgins was a smart man.

"I'm just worried about Brennan," she said, rotating on her chair, spinning around as she spoke.

"Why do you say that?' he asked, placing both his hands on her chair to stop her from spinning as the sight alone was making him dizzy.

"Well, the Christmas season is here again, and again, she refuses to participate in any type of activity," she said, frustrated at her own inability to convince her best friend.

"Well, Ange, Dr. Brennan has free will, and neither man nor God can make her believe." At seeing his girlfriend's glare, he knew it wasn't the right thing to say.

"I'm not saying I want her to become a God-fearing woman. All I'm asking for is a little Christmas spirit," she said, leaning back in the chair with a sigh. "I just don't want my friend alone for Christmas. Again."

If there was one thing Hodgins knew without a doubt in his mind was that Angela had the one of the largest hearts in the world, and Brennan occupied a big part of it. "If you're asking, I'll help," he said, and was rewarded with a delighted beam from Angela.

"Really?" she asked, grinning madly when he nodded. Getting up from her chair, she jumped on his lap as she kissed him.

"Again, I remind you, not in the lab!" Cam's voice echoed throughout the room and Angela detangled herself from Hodgins as she walked over to stand by the pathologist.

"We're just discussing my plan," she said innocently. Her boss' head shot up and she knew she had her attention.

"What plan?" Cam asked, always apprehensive of anything involving the words "Angela" and "plan".

"A plan to get Brennan happily dating by the holiday's end," said Angela, her grin growing as she racked her brain for the perfect guy to hook her up with.

"Are you sure you should be meddling with Dr. Brennan's love life?" asked Cam, bringing her attention back to the corpse lying on the metal table.

"What love life? You can't meddle with something that doesn't exist," said Angela, with a conclusive air. "Besides, anything I do is for her own good."

"Right, and I'm sure she'll see it that way," said Cam, shaking her head in amusement.

"So, Cam… Do you know any decent guy who could make Brennan happy by Christmas?" she inquired hopefully.

"Angela, if I knew a guy like that, I would be calling him my boyfriend," the pathologist replied.

"Does Dr. Brennan knows about this?" asked Zach, looking up from his study for a split second.

"Of course not. First I need to find a guy, and then I can convince the girl," said Angela, wincing as she saw the trouble ahead. Convincing Brennan would be the equivalent of skiing through a revolving door - difficult, risky and quite possibly painful.

"So that leaves you and me to come up with a guy," said Hodgins.

Suddenly Angela's face brightened as she smiled. "What about Booth? We can ask him to find a hot FBI agent for Bren." She glanced over at Hodgins for approval.

"I don't think it would be a good idea to get Booth involved," he replied, shaking his head.

"Get me involved with what?"

The couple turned to see the agent in question entering the pathology lab.

"We're trying to find a good guy for Brennan," said Angela.

"And what does that have to do with me?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"I was just wondering if you could find some nice, hot FBI agent to date her." It was said casually, but to Booth, it sounded a lot like a death knell. Specifically, his.

"No way, I'm not getting involved with this. Bones would kill me if she knew." Grinning, he started to back away towards the door. "As a matter of fact, I don't even want to be present while you discuss this."

"You refuse to be in her love life. The least you can do is help to fix it," said Angela, standing up in protest as Booth started to leave.

"Nope," he said firmly, backing towards Brennan's office. "Leave me out of this." He was gone before she could say any more and she turned to Hodgins, her smile back in place.

"I guess it's just you and me then."

He smiled, taking her hands in his. "As always, baby."

Planting a quick kiss on his lips, Angela leaned in, speaking conspiratorially, "So, I know this guy..."

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**So, what do you think? Anyone else thinks that Booth is the perfect hot FBI guy for Brennan? Will Brennan agree with the dates? Next chapter already on the making!!! Leave a review and it'll probably come faster!!!**


	2. His Inner Cave Man

**A/N: Okay, lovely people, here I am with the second chapter. I loved the review for the first one and that really got me writing faster. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!!!**

**Again, a huge thanks to bertie456 for being my human spellcheck!!! This whole fic is dedicated to you!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

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**_Twenty-seven days to Christmas..._**

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"Turn right here," Brennan said, lifting her head from the map to point in the direction they had to go. Booth rolled his eyes in a very Brennan-like manner as he maneuvered the car, gripping the wheel a little bit harder than necessary. 

"You didn't have to bring a map, Bones. I know exactly where we're going." Okay, so not exactly, but Booth wasn't about to admit that to Brennan. His male pride was already too damaged from their years as partners.

"If you know then were do we turn next, Ranger?" There it was, that smirk that always drove him mad.She smiled with a fake innocence in her eyes as he searched for the right road, "You don't know where to turn, do you?"

"Yes, I know…" He turned his head right, then left, then right again, trying hard not to look into her mocking eyes. "We now turn… left," he stammered, not showing any signs of relief when he saw her face fall, indicating he was right.

"That doesn't mean you know where we're going. You had a fifty percent chance of choosing the right direction." His smug smile wouldn't budge, and she suppressed the urge to hit him for always being so cocky.

"You just don't want to admit that I'm always right," he said, smiling broadly at her while she ever-so-stubbornly refused to back down.

"No, you're not. It was just a lucky guess," she said, but he only smiled more. "You're very obnoxious, you know that?"

"Thank you," he said, eyes fixed on the road.

"It wasn't a compliment," she replied, smirking when he glared at her.

They stayed silent for little more than a few seconds before Booth caved. "So why are we going to this place?" he asked, having not paid attention when she was actually telling him while they walked to the car.

"We're going to the crime scene where the victim was found. Cam thinks we might be able to find something useful for the case."

"But why are we going? It's not even our case." Not that he minded the company.

"I just wanted to get out of the lab for a few hours." The road passed quickly before her eyes as she avoided Booth's gaze.

"You just wanted to get away from Angela."

Laughter filled the car as her head snapped up, her mouth curving into a small smile as she stammered, "No, I didn't… I just… Okay, how did you know that?"

He laughed harder. "I told you I know you better than you think." She raised an eyebrow. "Also I heard Angela talking about the dates or whatever. But I still know you."

"Did she tell you what she was planning?"

"No," Booth said with a definite shake of the head. "I decided to walk away before she got me involved."

"Very wise," she said with a smile. "She set me up with a couple of her friends."

"Couple? As in plural?" he asked, frowning.

"Yes, two of her friends actually. She said that if I didn't like one of them, I would have a 'spare'."

The air quotes brought a smile to Booth's face. "You don't seem too excited."

She sighed, turning her face back towards the window. "I just don't know if this is such a great idea," she said, her apprehensive side making an appearance whenever the subject of relationships came to the surface.

"Then why did you agree?" he asked, knowing that Brennan was not the type of woman to do something against her will.

"Have you ever tried running away from Angela in heels?" she asked, seriously hoping that he hadn't. "Not an easy task! Besides, she can be pretty persuasive."

"That's not all, though, is it?" he questioned, and by the glistening in her eyes, he knew he was right.

"I just…" she stammered, trying hard to find the words. "It's just… Angela told me something… and it got me thinking."

"About?"

"About my life," she said, embarrassed.

"What about your life?" he prodded further, seeing as she was reluctant to continue, but Brennan knew that, if there was anyone that she could tell this to, it was Booth.

"It's just that she told me that now I know what happened to my parents and I have my brother and father back and a great job, great friends, so… She said that I don't have a reason not to be happy anymore because the only thing missing in my life is a boyfriend."

"And you agree with her?" he asked, a little perplexed.

"With what she said at first, yes. I thought about it and I think it may be the time for me to slowly let go of my past." At his astonished look, she felt a little self-conscious. "What? You don't agree?"

"No, no… I think that's great! I'm just surprised that you agreed with her." The last thing he wanted was for her to feel like she made the wrong choice.

"Well, it might not be so bad to let go a little bit, right?" At his nod, she felt some of her doubts slip away. "But I don't think that I need a man in my life to be happy. The notion that someone needs a mate in order to feel complete and whole… it's archaic."

"So you're saying you don't want a man in your life?" he asked, taking a turn when she pointed to her right, nudging him.

"No, that's not what I'm saying. I need physical and emotional connection just as much as everyone else does. I just know for a fact that I can feel good about myself without having a man in my life."

"If you don't need a man in your life, then why did you agree to go on those two dates?" he asked, puzzled by her.

"Just because I don't need a man to feel complete, doesn't mean I don't enjoy emotional and physical intercourse like everyone else. Besides, it's been a while since I had a boyfriend." Booth squirmed in his seat, the hard set of his jaw letting her know that he was tense. "I made you uncomfortable, didn't I? I always make you uncomfortable."

"Just don't say the word 'intercourse' again, okay?" She nodded, smirking at his shyness when it came to sex. "What I don't get is why you would agree to go out with these guys that Angela set you up with. You don't even know them."

"But isn't that the point of this whole dating ritual? Analyzing a mate in order to decide whether or not he is a suitable partner before further involvement?" she asked, her brow furrowed as she tried to understand the confusing rules of the modern day mating rituals.

"Okay, time out. What I'm saying is that you don't even know these guys you've agreed to see. What if one of them is a psycho?" he asked, knowing he had her there when he saw her bite her lip.

"What are the chances of that happening?" she asked.

"Big, considering your track record. Besides, knowing Angela, one of them must be a hippie loser who doesn't have a job and lives in the basement of his parents' house," he said.

"But that's exactly why I agreed to go on these dates. Like you said, my track record isn't the best, so I figured I could trust Angela's instincts this time," she said, and he regretted his earlier words.

"Hey," he called out and she focused her baby blue eyes on his chocolate orbs, "You don't have to settle for less then you deserve. It was just a joke, okay? It's not your fault if some of the guys you dated weren't right for you."

"Or if they were murderers?" she completed, and he smiled.

"That's not your fault either. You'll find the right guy one day," he said, and this time, she smiled, still a little unsure. A little awkward moment passed between them, but they were fortunately saved by their arrival at their destination.

"Here we go," she said, jumping out of the car as Booth killed the engine. She started to walk towards the four agents securing the area close to the scene as Booth caught up with her. The site was far away from the city, and a clear lagoon stretched out beside the dump site where the victim was originally found.

"So what are we looking for again?" asked Booth as he gave the agents a courtesy nod before following the anthropologist down to the river side.

"Anything that could be relevant in the case," she said, her eyes scanning the area around them.

"A bag maybe?" called Booth, and she was immediately by his side, her gloved hands closing around the small red purse on the ground.

"How did they miss this?" she asked as she opened the bag, rummaging through its contents.

Her fingers closed around a piece of paper folded neatly inside a wallet. She took it and motioned for Booth to remove it from her hand, but before he could reach it, a gust of cold wind blew across the lagoon, causing the paper to fly from her hand, floating until it landed on the lake about four feet from the edge.

She gave an angry grunt at this situation, earning a laugh from Booth. "Don't just stand there. Go fetch," she said, pushing him towards the river.

"Whoa, why me? You're the one who lost the damn piece of paper," he said, planting his feet on the ground in a stubborn manner.

"Fine! You don't want to go, then I'll go." Saying that, she threw her bag over to him, removing her coat. Booth stepped forward to hold it, but froze as then she removed her white blouse, leaving her with only her black tank top.

"Wow Bones," he said, stepping in front of her and effectively blocking the view for the other agents were now very interested in watching the partners. "What are you doing?"

"You expected me to go in the water fully clothed?" she asked, and he feared that she would remove even more articles of clothing, breathing a sigh of relief when she only took off her boots. Turning towards the lake, she dived in, swimming fast towards the paper.

"Oh my God, it's so cold!" Booth smirked as she hissed in the water, but it soon left his face as she swam back to the shore, and he noticed how her dampened clothes hugged her curves tight. Her wet hair was falling over her shoulders, clinging to her slender neck.

His eyes traveled lower on her body and he was painfully aware that he could see her tight nipples through her already fitted tank top. Looking up at the sky as he asked God for restraint, he quickly pushed her coat over her shoulder as the very interested agents were now ogling his Bones.

"Look," she called as she unfolded the piece of paper she rescued. It was a photograph of a couple. "It's Cam's victim."

"With the primary suspect," Booth concluded. "He said that he didn't know her."

"Looks like it was worth freezing for after all," she said with a bigger smile on her lips. And it was right then, at that moment, as she smiled with pure innocence and joy while almost freezing, that he realized that he wanted her. He could have gone all cave men right then as he saw the looks on those agents' faces.

If he had a club, he would hit her on the head, albeit very gently, throw her over his shoulder, take her to his cave and she would never leave him again. But seeing as this particular cave woman could hit him back, and hard, he resigned himself to protecting her from the stares as they made it back to the car.

She could have her dates, and maybe she would have fun, but he would be the only one to make her Christmas. And if things went his way, she would be singing carols by the end of the season.

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**If you liked it, leave your mark on my review page!!! Don't be shy, I love to know what you think, and besides, it's for free!!! Love you all, be back very soon!!!**


	3. Win a Date With Joe Millionaire

**A/N: Okay, lovely people, this is Brennan's first Christmas date! Hope you like this chapter because I had a lot of trouble with it! **

**A HUGE thanks to bertie456 for once again being a guiding star (you are serio****usly an angel!!!)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones**.

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**_Twenty-four days to Christmas_**

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"No, put that down!" Angela ordered as she snatched the plain black dress Brennan was holding. The anthropologist glared at her as she chose another dress from her closet. 

"Why can't I just wear that one? It's nice, it fits well and it's not too revealing," said Brennan as she handed another to the artist who instantly made a face at the similar brown dress.

"Bren, sweetie, that dress is boring and too plain. It just doesn't say take-me-home-and-show-me-some-Christmas-loving." With a wiggle of her brow she had Brennan a bit more relaxed.

"Well… that's good, because I don't want any Christmas loving." Opening another door, she took out a navy blue dress and passed it over to Angela for approval.

"Maybe," she pondered as she eyed the piece of clothing. "But I'm not too crazy about the length." With practiced ease, she held it up against Brennan, promptly discarding it when she saw it reached mid-shin.

"I don't want something too short, Ange," Brennan warned, knowing her friend's thigh-revealing tendencies.

"I'm not saying it has to be very, very short, but it doesn't have to say 'I'm married to Jesus'." Angela pushed herself further into Brennan's closet until she was almost inside. Brennan laughed, thinking about how much fun Angela had every time she was to go out on a date. She had once said that Brennan was her human-size Barbie, whatever that meant.

"Ange, can you please just find something? He'll be here any minute," she whined, very uncomfortable standing there wearing only her underwear as her best friend searched her closet for something Christmassy to wear.

"How about green?" Angela asked as she held the emerald dress against Brennan, and the scientist was pleased when a satisfied smile came over her friend's lips. "This is definitely the one. Put it on," urged Angela, pushing the dress over Brennan as she went to the jewelry box, choosing the right accessories for the ensemble.

"What do you think?" asked Brennan as she turned towards the mirror to examine her figure.

Angela came up from behind her and clasped the necklace over her neck, handing her the earrings as she grinned. "It's perfect, sweetie." That it was. Thin straps tapered over her shoulders while the bodice hugged her curves in the right places, and the hem fell above her knees in a sparkling deep green color, contrasting with her pale skin.

"I like it," said Brennan, slipping her shoes on as Angela came over with the eyeshadow. Just as she was about to apply it, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it, sweetie. Just finish it up and I'll stall him for a few minutes, okay?" She left before getting an answer, and crossed the living room, opening the door without looking in the peephole.

"Booth?" she exclaimed, surprised by his presence.

"What are you doing here, Angela?" he asked, surprised that it was the weekend and Angela wasn't shacked up somewhere doing things he didn't want to picture with her bug man.

"I was helping Brennan with her outfit. You?" The agent closed the door behind him as they both made their way over to the couch, Booth resting his feet on the coffee table.

"I just came over to see if she wanted to get something to eat. Didn't know she had a date," he said, sounding as casual as he could.

Angela raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a grin as she turned to him. "Really? You didn't know?"

"Nope," he said, emphasizing his point with a shake of his head.

Angela just grinned wider, "That's funny, because, as I recall, you were in her office when I told her that Hugh was picking her up today." The agent squirmed in his seat, shrugging as he tried to cover his tracks.

"Really? Huh… Must have been distracted when you said it. Those case files are pretty interesting."

"You seemed pretty focused to me when you told her not to go out with him because he could be a pervert." His face grew red as she grinned wider at his embarrassment.

"Drop it," he said, shooting her a glare as she batted her eyelashes at him.She opened her mouth to tease him further, but her words died on her lips as Brennan came into the room. Her hair pulled back in an elegant pony-tail, she looked beautiful in her green dress.

"Wow, Bones," Booth exclaimed, standing up as she shyly made her way closer to them, "You look great!"

"Thanks," she said, her cheeks tinged with pink as she smiled.

"But don't you think it's a little too much for a first blind date?"

Her smile became a frown. "Only you could compliment and insult me in so little time," she said, reaching for her cell phone as she placed it on her small handbag.

"It's just… Isn't it a bit too dressy? It's not like you're going to the Rainbow Room." Seeing Angela smirking at him, he questioned, confused, "What?"

"It just so happens that he made reservations in the Rainbow Room," the artist said and Booth's heart sank a little.

Determined not to be beaten that easily, he commented, "Fancy place for a first date. Don't need to ask whose friend he is."

"Why?" Brennan asked, her bewilderment clearly displayed on her face.

"The Rainbow Room is the fanciest place in DC, so it's pretty obvious that he's one of Hodgins entitled friends," Booth said, his jaw a little tighter as he sat on the couch again.

"Entitled?" Angela inquired, perplexed.

"Rich guy," he replied simply, and Brennan smiled as he looked over at her.

"I hope you're wearing your colorful socks today," Brennan said, grinning at him as he showed her the bright blue pair he had on.

Angela was lost upon seeing their little exchange. "Why do you wear such colorful socks? They don't look very FBI-y," she asked, pulling his pant leg up and smiling as she saw the small silver clouds on the blue fabric.

"It's his way of dealing with his socio-economic rage," Brennan answered.

Angela raised her eyebrows with a smirk. "Rage? There's rage involved?" Booth opened his mouth to defend himself, but she continued with a shrug, "Just as long as you don't go all Incredible Hulk on Hodgins, that's fine with me. Or on Brennan's date."

"Why would Booth attack my date?" Brennan asked with genuine confusion, and before Angela could point out that Booth would happily take down anyone who breathed in her vicinity, the doorbell rang, diverting their attention to the waiting guest outside.

"Saved by the bell," Angela said, and Booth just nudged her with his elbow sharply. Brennan frowned at the pair of them before crossing the living room again to answer the door.

The first thing she noticed was the large bouquet of red roses standing before her, and only as they were lowered did she see the man behind it.

Hugh Baskerton was a tall man, his build slim but strong. His face had well defined features, his jaw chiseled and his eyes dark and expressive. Brennan smiled at him, but in the pit of her stomach she felt that she was somehow strangely pleased that his build was nowhere near as strong as Booth's, and his eyes didn't held the familiar warmth she knew so well by now.

"Good evening, Temperance. These are for you," he greeted, handing the bouquet over to her.

"Good evening, Hugh," she greeted him in return, motioning for him to come inside as she searched for a vase to put the flowers in.

"Red roses? How creative," Booth murmured sarcastically to Angela, and just then Brennan remembered her friends' presence.

"Hugh, these are my friends Seeley Booth and Angela Montenegro." Hugh greeted them both, a little surprised as Booth squeezed the life out of his hand as he shook it. Angela saw his subtle claiming of his territory, and it took all of her self control not to say anything.

"Should we go?" asked Hugh and Brennan nodded, getting her handbag as she made her way over to Angela. Hugging her friend, she whispered, "Could you…"

"Sure," said Angela, immediately understanding her meaning. "Have fun, sweetie."

"Thanks. Bye, Booth."

"Bye Bones." Before he could say anything else, she was gone, swept away by Hugh.

Angela walked over to the kitchen, taking the vase of red roses in both hands as she nudged Booth, motioning for them to go home.

"Where are you going with the roses?" he asked, puzzled that Angela was kidnapping Brennan's bouquet.

"Bren is allergic to red roses," she said. A pleased smile came over his lips as he did a mental victory dance. Take that, Hugh.

* * *

The ride to the restaurant was mostly spent with Hugh talking about his life as they both sat in the back seat with the chauffeur in the front. 

In the quick fifteen minutes it took them to get to the restaurant, Brennan learned that he was the heir to an oil empire, that he had two younger sisters and a dog named Callie. His favorite "sport" was golf; he loved late night talks and slow walks on the beach. He graduated from Harvard, always spent his Christmas in Paris, his New Year in the Caribbean and the rest of the year he divided between New York and DC when he wasn't vacationing in some Greek island on his yacht or visiting some exotic part of South-East Asia.

When they arrived at the restaurant, the weather had turned and it was now raining. As they exited the car, Brennan stiffened as he held her uncomfortably close to him as they made their way inside, his hand snaking arond her waist while he opened the doors for her and firmly guided her as they walked over to the front of house stand.

The restaurant was everything one would expect from an eatery of its caliber, with silk drapes over the windows, ivory table-cloths and an excessive amount of cutlery. The luxury was somewhat overwhelming to Brennan as she eyed the room curiously while they walked towards their table.

As they sat, the menu was delicately placed in front of her while her date inquired, "Are you enjoying the evening, Temperance?" She nodded with a small smile on her lips as she tried to convince herself that the extravagance wasn't bothering her.

The maitre d' came over their table, and Hugh closed his menu, handing it to the man as he made his order. "I'll have the saddle of venison and the same for the lady." Flashing her a smile, he added, "Temperance, you'll love this."

Her somewhat troubled expression told him otherwise and he asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

"I'm a vegetarian," she replied, the mention of the word "saddle" reminding her of the case that led to this decision. Her date looked slightly shocked, but didn't say anything. She smiled apologetically, instead choosing a risotto as she handed over the menu. The atmosphere was strained for a short time before Hugh began to speak.

"I must confess, Temperance, that I'm a big fan of your work." That brought a smile to her face.

"Really?" she asked, "I'm surprised that you would be interested in it."

"Well, I find it very stimulating. Your writing is rather enjoyable, and I'm always intrigued by your books." Her enthusiasm waned slightly as she learned that, as always, it was her writing, not her outstanding work as a forensic anthropologist that he was familiar with.

"Thank you," she said, not really meaning it as she wasn't really comfortable when people complimented her on her writing skills. Her work at the Jeffersonian was her real love, not the novels she wrote.

"After I read it, I just had to meet you. I had to meet the fascinating woman with such a brilliant mind." He reached for her hand, stroking her knuckles as she tensed at the unwelcome contact. "And I must say you're far more beautiful in person."

Temperance wasn't convinced. Men could call her beautiful, shower her with empty compliments and expensive gifts, but they never meant a thing. There was never a deeper longing, a tightening in her chest as she kissed them, or as they gazed at her with adoration. Hugh, unfortunately, was just another blurred name on along list of admirers with whom she had nothing in common.

When their food arrived, Hugh started to talk animatedly about his plans for Christmas as Brennan listened, somehow not impressed at his large wealth. "You should come with me," he said with sudden excitement, and as she was distracted, she didn't know what he was talking about.

"What?" she asked, alarmed.

"You should come with me to Paris for Christmas," he said, taking her hand in his as he kissed it lightly. She fought the urge to snatch it back, resisting her impulse to punch him for touching her without her permission. "My family would love to meet you."

Her eyes widened at this development, her mouth dry as she tried to speak. "I just met you," she said laughing, taken aback by his request.

"I know, but I just know when something is right." Apparently not, she thought pointedly. He planted another kiss on her hand, and she shivered, not in a good way. "I know when I want something, and I always get what I want."

"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?" she asked, slowly removing her hand from his. Leaning back on her chair, she watched as he called the maitre d' over.

"A bottle of your best champagne, please." He turned towards her, an adoring smile on his lips and Temperance felt as stab of panic as she wondered if he had planned out any more of their future together. This doubt was not assuaged when the maitre d' reappeared with a bottle of Bollinger, and Hugh gazed at her with longing. "To our future," he said, and as they toasted, she downed the whole glass at once, not minding his curious stare. "You're a very intriguing woman, Temperance."

She smiled, a little bit hazy as she requested that her glass be refilled. This is going to be a long night, she thought.

As they ate, Hugh asked her about her work, and for the first time in the evening, she found something she liked to talk about. "You work with the FBI?" he asked, sipping the champagne as he watched her smile, clearly excited by the new topic.

"Yes, you met my partner, Seeley Booth, back at my apartment," she said, her fingers tracing the edge of her glass, and her eyes soft as she thought of her partner.

"But what do you mean by partner? You work out in the field?" he asked, a tinge of disbelief in his voice.

"Yes," she simply said, her pride in her work evident.

"But how can your partner let you go out in such a dangerous situation? As a decent man, surely he would want you to be safe?"

Her eyes hardened as his implication came across loud and clear. As offended as she was by his comment on Booth, she decided to tackle her own issue first. "So you don't think that I, as a woman, can take care of myself out in the field?"

"It's not that. It's just that I can't understand how he could endanger someone as beautiful as you." She swallowed hard, unnerved by his unearned protectiveness, but before she could clarify the working relationship between herself and her partner, Hugh spoke again, "But let's not talk about this anymore. Not with such enjoyable company here."

Speak for yourself, she thought bitterly. The dessert came, and she was relieved that the night would soon be over. But Hugh seemed reluctant to let it end. With a nod of his head, she watched as violinists made their way over to their table. As one of them leaned closer to her, Hugh's hands found hers.

As the music reached a higher note, she felt her head throbbing, her temples pulsating painfully.

"I have something for you," he said, and releasing one of her hands, he took a thin blue velvet box from the inside of his dinner jacket. Placing it on the table, he slid it over to her.

With steady hands, she opened it to reveal a silver bracelet with a pendant of a sparkling diamond heart. "I can't accept this," she said immediately, overwhelmed by the very premature expensive gift.

"Yes, you can. I want you to have something to remind you of me," he said, stroking her other hand gently. She looked at the jewelry, the bright glow from the diamond holding her gaze as she felt her chest constrict.

"Excuse me," she said, and he let go of her hands as she exited towards the restroom, ignoring his confused stare. As soon as she was inside, she reached inside her purse, and pressing the speed dial number, waited for an answer. "Booth," came the voice of her partner, and she was relieved that he was available.

"It's me," she said, and heard him chuckle on the other end.

"Date with Joe Millionaire not going well?" he asked, and she furrowed her brow in confusion.

"His name is Hugh," she said, missing his joke.

"Never mind. Why are you calling? Something wrong?" he asked quickly.

"Could you call in about two minutes saying that you have a case and pick me up?" she asked, silently wishing that he would just agree and ask no further questions.

"Sure. Is everything okay?" he inquired with concern, knowing that Brennan wasn't the type of person to ask for help very often.

"Yes, just… do this for me," she said.

"Be right there." He hung up and Temperance realized that her head felt a bit lighter, and her temples somehow weren't throbbing anymore. Attributing this to the "fresh air" she got, she slowly made her way out of the restroom and back to her table.

"Is everything okay?" Hugh asked as she sat down, and Brennan couldn't help but notice the difference between the two men who had asked the same question. "I know you might feel like this is a lot, and it's okay," he said, once again taking her hand in his in what was intended to be a comforting manner, but to her, was just invasive.

Suddenly her phone rang, and she silently thanked her partner for understanding. She apologized to Hugh, who nodded with a smile, and answered the call.

"What is it?" Hugh asked as she ended her conversation.

"We have a case, so… I'll have to go," she said, getting up from the table as Hugh followed her closely.

"Do you really have to go?" he asked, and she nodded. "Can we schedule another dinner?" he pressed hopefully. "I don't know. We'll see."

Despite her evasive answer, he followed her through the restaurant, accompanying her to the street where her partner was already waiting for her inside his parked SUV.

"Goodnight, Temperance," he said, kissing her on the cheek as she entered the car. She gave him a forced smile in return, wanting nothing more than to be out of that place and away from the man and his apparent life plan for the two of them.

Booth turned the engine on, and they were out of Hugh's sight in moments, and it was only when the young heir made his way back to their table that he saw the forgotten jewelry box sitting at the table.

In the car, Booth glanced over at Brennan, worried by her uncharacteristic silence.

"You okay?" he asked, and she turned her face away from the window to look at him.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said, not angry or resentful. Just tired.

"Sure. No problem. Want to get some Thai?" he asked.

"I just had dinner," she said, smiling slightly at Booth's lack of detecting skills. "I was at a restaurant?"

He smiled in return, shrugging his shoulders. "That never stopped you before." His next offer was slightly more tentative, unsure of how she would react. "We can go to my place if you want? You know, find some old movie on TV, listen to you criticize everything wrong with it… what do you say?" As an added measure of persuasion, he threw in a charm smile and a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Brennan started laughing, her first real laugh since she left her apartment. "That would be great," she said, leaning back against her seat as she felt some of the tension leaving her body.

"Alright," he said casually, trying to hide his elation. It meant the world to him that she called, and it meant even more that she would rather be with him watching an old movie in his small apartment than being in the most expensive restaurant in town with Mr. Oil-Heir.

One down, one to go, he thought hopefully.

* * *

**So, do you like it? Hate it? Want to hit me? Let me know with your review, I'm seriously addicted!!! Let me know what you think, your opinion matters to me!!!**


	4. The 'Seeley' of approval

**A/N: So just because I had a very good response to the last chapter, I'm updating so fast. I hope you like, because I had fun writing this. I'm amazed at how fast this fic is going!!! So this is my latest update, but I have just put chapter 3 up yesterday, so don't forget to read it before you read this one (and review it, of course!)**

**Just want to say that the review I'm getting always leave me giggling like an idiot!!! I love them all!!! **

**As always, thanks to bertie for being the angel that makes this fic go so fast!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

* * *

**_Twenty-three days to Christmas_**

* * *

"You said you would be finished half an hour ago," said Angela, tapping her foot impatiently as Brennan ignored her, instead choosing another bone to examine. 

"I said no such thing, Ange. I said I'd be finished soon, and you took 'soon' to mean 'half an hour'," she said, twisting the patella in her hands as she wrote something on the chart beside her.

"Honey, Noah will be here in half an hour. Don't you think it's time to leave the land of the dead?" asked Angela, her pout successfully drawing the anthropologist's attention.

"Fine," she said, snapping her latex gloves off as she descended the platform to follow the now delighted Angela into her own office.

"Okay, so… where are the clothes I separated for you?" the artist inquired, scanning the room for her green plastic bag.

"Here," Brennan replied as she took it from under her coat stand where she had stashed it for safe keeping after Zach had accidentally stumbled over it when entering the room to present his findings.

Angela took the bag, spilling its contents over the couch as Brennan looked at the items in disbelief. "You found all of this in my closet?"

"Yes, I did some digging and found some really nice things that you don't wear very often. Which is a shame, really."

To prove her point, Angela held up a blue silk top as Brennan frowned. "This is mine?" she asked, amazed that her closet apparently had Narnia-like properties.

"I found it hanging way back. It's cute; how come you've never worn it?" Angela asked. Brennan shrugged in answer as Angela shoved the piece of clothing towards her while motioning for her to take the blue lab coat off.

"So no dresses today?" asked Angela, moving over to shut the blinds and shield her friend from peeping lab techs.

"No, I don't want anything too ostentatious. I wouldn't want to give him the wrong impression," Brennan said, taking off her chunky necklace and earrings.

"You never really told me how the date went with Hugh," Angela said pointedly, noticing a light blush crossing Brennan's features.

"Let's just say that by the end of the date, I was afraid that he would propose."

"What?" she asked, wide eyed as she laughed at Brennan's disgusted expression. "What do you mean?"

"Well… first he invited me to go to Paris for Christmas with his family." Angela laughed harder. "Then he gave me a diamond bracelet."

"You're kidding me!" Angela exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand as she laughed. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea he was so forward," she said, an apologetic smile on her lips as she tried to stop laughing.

"Yeah, well… I was out before he could give me a diamond ring," Brennan said, taking off her blouse to put on the blue silk one. She decided to leave out the fact that she called Booth to get her out of there. Angela would have way too much fun teasing her about that.

"Can I see the bracelet?" the artist asked, excitedly.

Brennan looked troubled for a moment before finally answering, "I left it at the restaurant."

By the expression on Angela's face, she felt like she just told her that she had run over her puppy. "You didn't," Angela said, horrified.

"Yes I did," Brennan reiterated, confused.

"No, you didn't."

"Ange, I just told you I did. Why are you telling me that I didn't?" she asked, beginning to get annoyed at her friend's lack of comprehension.

"I'm trying to understand why you would do such a thing," said Angela as she watched her friend struggle to get her pants on.

"It was a diamond bracelet, Angela. I couldn't accept such an expensive gift on a first date," Brennan said, zipping up as she adjusted the blouse over her dark jeans.

"Sweetie, repeat after me: diamonds are a girl's best friend," the artist said slowly, giving her a concerned smile.

"That doesn't make any sense. A diamond is just a mineral, a natural crystalline substance formed by carbon in its most concentrated state. It's inanimate, as in doesn't have a life," Brennan said, and Angela fought the urge to slap herself on the forehead.

"That's not what I mean, Bren. Sometimes you're just so... literal." Temperance opened her mouth to inquire why that was a bad thing, but before she could say anything, there came a knock on the door.

"Is it safe to come in?" Booth called, sticking his head around the door with his eyes closed.

"Yes, Booth," Brennan said, amused as her partner came inside, file in one hand as he smiled at her.

"What were you two talking about? I could hear you all the way down the hall," he said, dropping the file on her desk.

"I was explaining to Brennan why it was wrong of her to leave the diamond bracelet she got from Hugh at the restaurant," said Angela, watching as his eyes grew wide.

"He gave you a diamond bracelet?" he asked, slightly scared by this knowledge.

"Yeah, but I couldn't accept it," she said.

"You were right not to," Booth stated firmly.

"How so?" the artist asked, counting on his ability to dig himself into a hole, and all but handing him a shovel.

"Well, when a man gives a woman a present, he expects something in return, so she feels guilty if she denies it," he said conclusively, and Brennan seemed pensive for a moment.

"Like when you gave me Brainy Smurf?" she asked innocently and Angela smirked at his horrified expression.

"No… no, I gave you that because I'm your friend, your partner, not some guy trying to chat you up," he said, breathing a sigh of relief when she seemed to accept his answer.

"What are you doing here so late?" the artist asked, smiling. "Come to inspect Brennan's date? Give him the 'Seeley' of approval?"

He raised his eyebrows, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Funny. Hilarious." Clearing his throat and regaining his composure, he informed them, "I came here because I need Bones' signature." To prove this, he waved the file in triumph with a smug smile on his face.

"Yeah, and I bet it must be so urgent that it couldn't wait until tomorrow," said Angela, smiling as he continued to glare at her. Brennan was oblivious to their banter, instead focusing on getting ready.

"Honey, here," she said, handing her the necklace she knew Brennan was looking for.

"What do you think?" Brennan asked, fastening it in place.

Angela's face lit up as the anthropologist turned to them. "You look great, sweetie. Doesn't she, Booth?"

"Yeah," he said simply, always adoring the light pinkish glow on her cheeks every time she was embarrassed. Before Angela could tease him further, a light knock came from the door and they all turned towards the sound, seeing a man standing outside Brennan's office.

Noah was a tall, muscular man with blond hair and deep green eyes. His structure reminded her of Charlie, the overnight guy, as Noah had great definition in his biceps and triceps, but the difference was in the eyes.

Charlie's eyes were warm, as were Booth's, but Noah's eyes had something different, something that left her with the feeling that, to him, a woman's body was like a playground, designed only for his entertainment and pleasure. If his smug smile said anything, it only confirmed what she could feel with her barely used female instinct.

Angela stepped beside him, ushering him further inside as Booth stood close beside Brennan. "Bren, this is Noah, a friend of mine from college." She looked up at her old friend with a smile. "I've not seen him for years, but he was one of the sweetest guys in school. Noah, this is Temperance Brennan."

Brennan extended a hand to him, expecting him to shake it, but instead he brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it. She fought the urge to snatch her hand away as she saw a light trail of saliva on her skin, and she pondered for a second whether she should wipe her hand with a sterilized tissue.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, doll," the apparently sweet Noah said with a smile. Brennan smiled in return, but to those who knew her, it was clear that she was far from pleased.

When he let go of her hand, Booth stepped forward, taking Noah's hand in his as he squeezed it tight. "I'm her partner, Seeley Booth," he said, smirking as the man seemed to feel the effects of the excessive pressure on his fingers.

However, the death-grip was not enough, and the blond man offered his hand to Brennan, asking, "Ready to go?"

"Sure," Brennan said, sidestepping him as he tried to lead her through the doorway. "Bye, guys," she called out, but was out of earshot before they could respond. Angela smiled a little as she watched Booth track the departing couple with a steely gaze.

"Let's go then," she said, trying to lead the agent out of the office.

"You go ahead, I'll be right out," he said, crossing to Brennan's desk in search of something.

"You're not going to follow them, are you?" she asked, laughing as his head snapped up.

He rolled his eyes. "Goodbye, Angela."

She only smiled wider as she eyed him analytically, calling out as she left, "Booth, you forgot to get that really important file signed."

"Get out," he said with a smirk as she disappeared quickly from his shooting distance.

"So, that guy in your office…" Noah began as they walked side by side down the halls of the Jeffersonian.

"My partner, Booth?" she asked, curious as to where he was going with this.

"Yeah… Is he just your partner?" he asked, and she blushed furiously at the question.

"Of course, why do you ask?" she inquired, wondering once again why everyone that met them assumed they had something that went beyond partnership and friendship.

"He just seemed a bit… I don't know. I just don't understand he can work with a pretty little thing like you everyday without being more than 'just good friends'," he said almost mockingly as they crossed the last door to enter the parking structure.

The "thing" comment made Brennan flinch. Thing, as if she was something to possess, not someone to know. Biting back a fierce retort and deciding to give Angela's friend one last chance, she shrugged it off, deciding to question something else he said.

"Do you not believe a woman and a man can work together and build a friendship?" she asked, with genuine curiosity. He looked at her as though trying to decide whether she was being serious.

"Well… sure, if the woman is ugly," he said, laughing at his own joke. Brennan wasn't amused, but he didn't notice.

And as she walked in front of him, his eyes traveled lower down her body, and he smiled in appreciation. "You're definitely not a woman to be friends with."

"Why do you say that?" she asked, oblivious to his lecherous stare. He just came closer to her, his body almost pressed against hers.

"You have a really nice ass," he said in her ear, and just before she could respond, she felt his hand on her left cheek. She froze in place before making her decision. However, as always, her mind worked very fast.

Spinning around quickly, she twisted his arm behind his back firmly as she kicked him to the floor. "Never touch me again," she said as she spun on her heel, walking back inside the building without glancing back at him as he lay there in pain.

"Bitch," he shouted angrily, but she barely heard him over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears, feeling the adrenaline running through her veins. She felt like punching something, or someone, and for a moment she considered going back just to kick his ass a little bit more.

Walking quickly, she decided to just go back to her earlier work as a way to try and release some of the anger she was feeling. When she reached the Medico-Legal Lab, she was surprised as she collided with something solid in her haste.

"Booth!" she exclaimed, silently wishing that he wasn't there as he would now press for the reason why she was back in the lab, and not out on her date.

"What are doing here, Bones? Forget something?"

_Sure_, she thought, _my sanity_. Since the moment she saw Noah, she knew it was a bad idea, even more so than it had been with Hugh.

"No, my date just got cancelled," she said in a nonchalant tone, but he knew better.

"What happened?" he asked, concern lacing his words.

"He seemed a little too eager to jump to second base," she replied with forced casualness, hoping she got the phrase right. By Booth's angry expression, she knew the message was received loud and clear.

"He tried to cop a feel?" he asked, instinctively clenching his fists.

"I don't know what that means," she said, and he smiled despite the situation.

"He tried to touch you inappropriately?" he simplified, and saw immediately that she understood.

"He didn't try. He succeeded," she said, voice quiet in anger, and Booth's blood pressure once again went through the roof.

"Where is he? Do you want me to talk to him?" he asked, fully aware that 'talk to him' was a euphemism for 'beat the living daylights out of him'.

"No need. I already took care of that," she said, smiling as he calmed down.

"You did, huh? Did it hurt?" he asked, laughing as she nodded enthusiastically. "Good enough for me. Come on, Bones. I'll buy you a piece of chocolate cake."

"Is food the only thing you think about?" she asked as he guided her.

"No, I have other thoughts in my head too, you know," he said with mock offense, and for some reason she blushed. To cover her embarrassment, she just punched him lightly on the arm, ranting about his alpha-male tendencies.

Just a few minutes later, there they were, sitting at their usual spot in the diner.Booth enjoyed his piece of pie while Brennan dug her fork into the little slice of chocolatey heaven that was currently occupying her plate. Every time she took a bite, a small moan of satisfaction left her lips as her eyes closed.

"Good cake?" Booth asked, swallowing hard as she moaned again.

"Delicious," she said with a smile, and another piece of the cake disappeared between her full lips. Booth squirmed, shifting on his chair as he tried to direct his gaze away from her.

"So… ah… what are you going to do now?" he asked, and she considered his question for a moment, dropping her fork on her almost empty plate.

"About?" she questioned, resting her head on her hand.

"About the dates. Because both kind of went wrong."

He immediately regretted his words as she seemed to sadden at the mention of her 'failures'. "Well… What can I do? Nothing. I just have to accept that maybe I won't ever find someone compatible," she said, avoiding the stare she knew he was giving her.

"That's not true. You will find someone, I know that," he said, and reaching out, took her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze.

"How do you know?" she asked softly, wanting so much to just believe him.

"I know that, someday, someone will make your heart beat faster, and then you'll know that you got them," he said, the tenderness in his eyes causing her to blush. "Besides, you've got one last date left," he said, and she frowned.

"One last? Angela told me it was just two," she said, confused.

"No, I'm sure she said something about one more. Probably to make up for that jerk she knew from college." Brennan smirked at the description, deciding Noah had probably changed a lot since Angela knew him. Seeing that she was still not convinced about the extra date, Booth continued with a shrug, "Maybe it just slipped your mind."

"You think this last one will work?" she asked, unsure.

"I think the third time's a charm," he said, grinning as her smile reappeared.

Two down, and now the path was clear.

* * *

**So, what do you think? Good? Bad? So boring you fell asleep half way? Let me know!!! I cut the date short because I had a lot of requests for some BB alone action, and I just love their scenes together, so... Let me know!!! **

**Next chapter is on the making, and I must say, it's looking good!!! Leave me a review and it'll come faster (you know I mean it!!!) Make me happy and bubbly with a review!!!**


	5. The Melt Down

**A/N: So here it is, the third date!!! I wonder who Brennan is going out with... By the way, I'm still replying to the reviews, I'll take a while, but I will!!! They left me soooo happy and bubbly!!!**

**So this chapter is really especial. You want to know why? There was a hostage situation near my house at a McDonalds(seriously!!!) so things were tense around here. Thanks to God, everything turned out fine, and nobody got hurt!!! It was a bit hard to write fluff yesterday, but I hope that the result is what you expected!!!**

**As always, a BIG thank you to bertie456 for revising my work and for being my light!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

* * *

_**Twenty-one days to Christmas**_

* * *

A cold breeze was blowing that night as the full moon made an appearance for the first time that month. Not being outdoors as much as she would like, Brennan took a moment to admire the expanse of night sky as she sat on the steps of the Jeffersonian entrance hall. 

While waiting for her date to arrive, she pondered the day that had just ended. Upon discovering the disastrous non-date with Noah, Angela had apologized close to a thousand times, repeatedly telling Brennan that she had no idea how much he had changed. Brennan didn't blame her since she couldn't blame her best friend for trying so hard to make sure that she was happy. Who could resent her for being so sweet?

Booth on the other hand had placed a very mysterious phone call to Angela, but when Brennan asked, the artist shrugged it off, saying that he had some doubts about a sketch she drew. Figuring she had no reason to lie, Brennan accepted the excuse.

As the evening approached, Temperance was once again dragged from her remains to her office in order to find something "extra cute" to wear on her date, as Angela had put it. After being dolled up by the ever enthusiastic artist, Brennan simply decided to wait outside, successfully dodging Angela's patented first date advice.

Sitting on the steps, Brennan took a few moments to look at the stars. As she got lost in the pleasant memories of a very far away childhood, the wind blew colder and snow began to fall in tiny white flakes. She smiled, enjoying the cold sensation on her face as small flakes fell on her nose, melting against her warm skin.

In her head, she tried to prepare her escape route as she waited for her date. If her previous dates told her anything, it was that she was setting herself up for another disappointment. In the back of her mind, she considered calling Booth to the rescue again, but decided that would only help his over-developed white-knight complex.

Hugging herself as the cold intensified, she mentally thanked Angela for bringing her the white cashmere sweater instead of a thin blouse. Rubbing her hands over her knees she felt the soft material of the flesh-colored pantyhose she was wearing under her caramel skirt and suede boots.

Feeling her fingertips start to turn numb with the cold, she considered going to her office, before remembering that her gloves were still in her apartment. Blowing a warm breath over her hands, she rubbed them together, staring absent-mindedly at the street in front of her.

She watched as a familiar black SUV came around the corner and parked in front of the steps. Booth stepped out of his vehicle, smiling at the sight of the distracted anthropologist sitting on the steps.

She returned the smile as he climbed the steps to stand in front of her. "Came here to inspect my date?" she asked, standing up and smoothing her skirt down.

Not answering the question, he extended his hand, a glint in his eyes confusing her. "I came here to pick up my date," he said, and she frowned.

"You have a date with someone from the Jeffersonian? Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, a little hurt that he kept that from her.

"Well… you see, I also came here to bring your date," he said, and watched as she searched for someone else inside the SUV.

"Then where is he?" she asked, fully aware that no one else was there. Realization dawned and she sighed, "I'm being stood up, aren't I? That's why you're here, to let me know."

He just smiled wider at her insecurity, the pink glow on her cheeks from the cold just adding to the effect. "It's me," he said, and she frowned again. "I'm your date."

"What?" she asked, with genuine confusion. "Why would you want to be my date?"

"Okay, now before I tell you why, you have to promise not to spend the entire evening analyzing it, alright? I give you the reason, you accept it and don't start a fight over it."

She nodded mutely, still slightly stunned by his presence. "I'm not doing this because I pity you or anything, okay, Bones? I'm doing this because I'm your friend, and because I want to show that not all men are jerks like the ones you dated," he said, hoping she would understand.

"So, what? We're going to go to the Diner or something?" she asked with a skeptical smirk.

"Nope. I have something different in mind," he said, taking her hand as he guided her towards the SUV. She raised an eyebrow as he opened the door for her, easing her inside as he closed it before going around to sit behind the wheel.

"So now I'm going to experience what it's like to be out on a date with Seeley Booth?" she asked, laughing as he winked at her.

"It's a life changing event," he said, and she laughed louder. Before he turned the car on, he reached into the back, produced a small box wrapped in red paper. "For you," he said, handing it to her as she looked at him, surprised.

"You didn't have to get me anything," she said softly.

"I know, but we're on a date, and it's customary for the man to bring a gift." Remembering an earlier conversation, he clarified, "And this is not a guilt-inducing, give-me-something-in-return gift. This is a friendly, let's-make-up-for-the-crappy-dates gift. I would've brought flowers, but since I know you're not really a flower kind of girl, I thought…"

He suddenly felt insecure, wondering if he had made the wrong choice by not bringing flowers. She unwrapped her present, and a smile spread across her face as she lifted the lid. Neatly placed over a few pieces of paper was a pair of white gloves and a white knit hat. She took the items with her free hand, a pleased smile on her lips as she turned to Booth.

"I love them," she said, and his shoulders visibly relaxed as he smiled.

"I knew you would forget yours," he said as she put the gloves on, enjoying the feel of the soft material against her skin, "And I know your fingers get very cold in this weather."

"You know me too well," she said smiling as she placed the hat on her lap. "So what are we going to do, if we're not going to dinner?"

"It's a surprise, but don't worry. It's something I know you love to do and haven't done in a while," he said, starting the engine and noticing the worry on her face.

"I don't think that us having sex is a good idea," Brennan said nervously, and his head snapped up to face her.

"Jeez, get your mind out of the gutter, Bones," he said, laughing to hide his discomfort. "That's not what we're going to be doing."

She relaxed, slightly embarrassed. "It's not?"

"No, it's not," he said, glancing at her sideways. Hoping to lighten the mood, he added, "Would never have had you down as one of those girls, Bones."

She looked at him quizzically. "Those girls?"

"Yeah, you know, I say first date activity and your mind leaps straight to that." He grinned at her. "Those girls."

Rolling her eyes, Brennan couldn't stop the smile from playing on her lips as she replied, "Strange, because I would've had you down as one of those guys."

"Gee, Bones, nice to know you have such a high opinion of me," he shot back, sarcastically.

"You're welcome," she said with a knowing smile before asking, impatiently, "So where are we going then?"

"You sound like Parker, with all the whining," he said, and she seemed offended by the comparison.

"I'm not whining. I'm simply enquiring as to where I'm being taken," she said. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she laughed while punching him lightly on the arm.

"Do you always hit your dates?" he asked, maneuvering the car to a stop. She looked around expectantly, trying to catch a glimpse of something that could tell her where she was, but came up empty.

"Where are we?" she asked as she unbuckled. He was out of the car in a second, opening the door for her and leading her by the hand. "Alpha-male," she said as he closed the door behind her, activating the alarm system.

"I'm a gentleman, Bones. It's how my mom raised me," he replied, guiding her with a hand on her elbow as they walked a bit further, the snow falling softly around them.

"Are you ever going to tell me where we are?" she asked, putting on her knit cap while adjusting the loose locks of her auburn hair.

He didn't answer, only led her further ahead as she looked around at the tall trees that lined each side of the path they were taking. As they ascended a hill, he grinned as she looked down, a gasp escaping her lips.

"An ice rink?" she asked, her smile full now as he led her by the hand towards the large rink. It was only when they got closer that she realized there was no one skating, but the lights were all on. "Why isn't there anyone else here?" she asked, more as a question than a complaint.

"My uncle George owns the place. It's open just for us tonight," Booth answered, and she was taken aback by this.

"This whole place just for us?" she asked, and he grinned, nodding his head. Ahead of them, standing beside the rink was a tall man. His grey hair was hidden beneath his cap and his large belly was covered by the thick orange coat he had on.

"Uncle G," Booth greeted, hugging the man quickly as Brennan stood behind him. As they parted, Booth led her forward with his hand on her back. "George, this is my friend Temperance. Bones, this is my uncle George," he informed them as they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Temperance," George said, his grey mustache catching more snow with each word he spoke. "Alright, Seeley. I have the skates here and you kids can stay for as long as you want."

"Thanks, George," Booth said gratefully as the man made his way out of their sight. Booth pulled Brennan towards a bench and they both sat on it to put on their skates.

"Booth," Brennan inquired as she removed her boots, "Why did you bring me here?" He looked at her as he put his first skate on, tying it with a tight bow.

"You once told me that your dad used to take you every year at Christmas," he said, smiling as her eyes glistened. "You also told me that you haven't done it since they disappeared, so…" He was surprised as she took his hand in hers, his skin against the soft material of her gloves.

"Thank you," she said, the sincerity in her voice evident.

"You're welcome, Bones," he replied, squeezing her hand back as he tried to lighten the mood, "So here are the rules."

"You have rules for your dates?" she asked, laughing while she tied the last skate. He stood up, offering her a hand which she took gracefully as they entered the rink. As her skate first hit the ice, she was bombarded with all the fond memories she had of her parents during the Christmases from her childhood.

"Not for all my dates. Just for you, Bones," he said, smiling as she laughed with childlike enthusiasm while circling the rink with ease.

"So what are these rules?" she asked, spinning around in a circle as she remembered all the moves she learned as a little girl from her mother.

"No squint talk, no analyzing, and no talk about sex or religion," he said, skating towards her as she pouted.

"Why can't we talk about sex or religion?" she said, skating backwards as she laughed.

"We don't want to start an argument now, do we?" he asked, and she seemed to consider this for a while before resigning herself to the fact that he was right.

"So what do you normally talk about on a date?" she asked, and he took her hand to steady himself as he wobbled a little. "Losing your balance, Agent Booth?" she said, teasingly.

He glared at her, letting go of her hand to stand by himself, aiming to prove her wrong. "My balance is just fine, thank you," he said, contradicting himself as he wobbled a little again. "Normally on the first date we can talk about our work or hobbies, that sort of thing," he clarified, circling the rink in the opposite direction to his partner.

"But we already know each other so well," she pointed out, stopping in the middle of the rink as she watched Booth getting closer to her.

"Well, we can ask questions," he suggested, taking her hand in his as he pulled her to him, moving slowly backwards as their skates carved a path in the ice.

"Okay," she said, blushing at his contact while he watched her. "So…what was the most embarrassing summer job you ever had?"

He raised his eyebrows with a smile, letting go of her hand as he skated beside her. "Let me see…" he pondered as he searched his memory, "Oh, I got it! One summer, my mother got me a job handing out flyers for a toy store that opened on our street."

"What's so embarrassing about that?" she asked, frowning.

"Did I forget to mention that I was dressed as Pooh Bear?" he said, and she started laughing hard, the sound warm to his ears. "That's right, you laugh now. What was your worst summer job?" he asked, and she paled a little.

"I didn't have one," she said quickly, but he wasn't buying it.

"Come on, I know you did," he said as she began skating with her back to him. "Tell me."

"You'll laugh," she whined, pouting as she turned to face him.

"Like you didn't? I have the right to know now, it's just like that time I laughed at the whole brainy Smurf thing," he said, crossing his arms over his chest as he smirked at her challengingly.

"Fine," she said, defeated, coming to a halt near him as she sighed. "I got a job at a carnival one summer," she said, and he just shrugged.

"Doing what?" he asked, and amusingly, she blushed furiously.

"I was a…" Her last work was whispered very quietly, so low that he missed it.

"What?" he asked, getting closer.

"I was a clown, okay?" Now it was his time to laugh loudly as she turned a brighter shade of red.

"You were a clown?" he asked in disbelief, holding his sides as she glared. "Like a real clown with the big hair, and the big shoes? Will you show me one day?"

"Why? So you can shoot me?" she asked mockingly, and he glared at her.

"Harsh, Bones," he said, pushing her away from him before sighing, "Winnie the Pooh and Krusty the Clown; a match made in heaven."

"Yep," she said, missing his meaning as he gazed at her lovingly. "So what else do you want to know about me?"

Everything, he thought. Skating to the center, he watched as she gracefully circled him before skating near the rail. "What is the best vacation you ever took?" he asked, and she turned again before moving to stand in front of him.

"When I went to visit my brother," she answered.

He was amazed that, even though she had seen so many different countries, seen so many different cultures, the best time she ever had on her breaks was the modest trip to North Carolina. His amazement must have shown in his face because her eyes focused on his as he watched her.

"What?" she asked, coming closer and causing him to catch the light scent of her perfume, a mix of vanilla with the sweet tone of flowers.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. She considered him for a moment, trying hard to read his expression, but he just smiled, letting nothing show as he skated a bit farther from her.

"Okay, so… Who was your first crush?" she asked, laughing when he blushed a little. "My, my… is the big strong ex-sniper blushing?" she teased.

"No," he said firmly, "It's the cold," he said, turning his back to her in embarrassment.

"Right," she said sarcastically, extending her hands to catch a few of the snowflakes that were still falling around them. "You didn't answer my question."

"Maggie Kemp," he replied, avoiding her eyes as he spoke. "She lived next door. She was really pretty and was the coolest girl in the neighborhood."

"How old were you?" Brennan asked, imagining a mini-Booth with alpha male tendencies trying to protect his little crush. That brought a smile to her face.

"I was eight," he said, the pinkish tone of his cheeks slowly fading, "And she turned me down when I asked her to play with me."

"Poor Seeley," she said with fake pity, pinching his cheek as he laughed loudly.

"Who was your first crush?" he asked in return, taking her hand in his as she skated backwards.

"I guess it was Matt. He was a friend of Russ and he used to give me little notes every time he came to my house," she said, smiling at the memory. "I was about nine, and he was eleven."

"What happened to him?" Booth asked.

"His family moved to Australia, so I never saw him again," she responded sadly, circling him as she stretched her hand to him. He took it, pulling her towards him, his hands resting on her waist. "How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

The blunt question took him off guard, and he promptly lost his footing, tripping backwards as his skates slid out from under him. He stumbled, landing on his back with her on top. He groaned, saying in protest, "Sex questions, Bones. We said no sex talk."

"Loss of virginity is more of a rite of passage than a particularly erotic experience," she defended from her position on his lap.Booth opened his mouth to protest, but a smile quickly formed on his face as he started chuckling softly at their situation.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked, confused.

"My butt is gonna be purple in the morning," he said, and she laughed with him, burying her face in his chest.

"At least it's already on ice," she pointed out, enjoying the vibrations of his chest against her cheek as she began to feel the effects of his proximity. He held her, his hand drawing circles on her back over the material of her sweater. She shivered as his breath caressed the side of her neck, and he caught the small movement.

"Come on," he said, letting go of her while they tried to stand up. "Let's get out of here before we turn into popsicles." Taking her hand in his, he guided her towards the exit. They sat on the bench while both took their skates off, shooting discreet glances at each other as they put their shoes on.

"Are we going home?" Brennan asked. She wouldn't admit it, but she was afraid that the night would end soon.

"Not yet, I have something else for you," he said with a grin, catching her hand as he pulled her towards the trees. As they found a small bench he pushed her gently to it, successfully getting her to sit on it. "Stay here," he instructed as he headed towards his parked SUV. A moment later he came back, a black bag in his hand.

"What have you got there?" she inquired, trying to peer inside while he sat besides her, unzipping the bag. He looked at her expectantly before showing her what he was hiding. "A blanket?" she asked amused.

He grinned at her while draping it over her shoulders, earning him a sweet smile from her. "Thank you," she said, watching as he took another blanket from the bag, before draping it over his own shoulders. She eyed his bag curiously. "What else have you got in there?"

"Just a little something," he said, taking out a flask and two mugs. Taking one of the mugs, she watched as he poured the hot brown liquid inside, a smile of wonder on her face now.

"Hot chocolate?" she asked, smiling wider as he grinned, a few small flakes of snow embedded in his short hair.

"Just thought we might get cold," he said, pouring the hot liquid in his mug before placing it on the floor. They both sat cross-legged as they burrowed deeper into their blankets. She shifted, her body coming closer to his until she was firmly snuggled against his side, her face close to his shoulder.

"Cold?" he asked with a smile, and she smiled back at him.

"Physical contact generates more heat than a blanket," she informed him, sipping her chocolate as she looked up at the stars, feeling his eyes on her.

"Then by all means, snuggle closer," he invited, and she blushed, the pink tingeing her cheeks in a lovely contrast with her pale skin.

"Why do you like to fix old cars?" she asked, blowing on her cup softly while keeping her eyes on his. He smiled at her, his fingers brushing a few snow flakes off her hair as he though about her question.

"When I first got my driver's license, my dad promised me a car. So there I was, expecting a beautiful Caddy, or a Buick, but no. Instead, my dad bought this really old piece of crap," he said, smiling as he remembered his own reaction at the time.

"So what happened?" she asked, enjoying the opportunity to learn more about her mysterious partner.

"My dad came to me and told that I could either get a job and buy another or I could let him teach me how to restore said piece of crap into a brand new car. You can guess what I chose."

"So it was your dad that taught you?" she asked, sipping her hot chocolate again while warming up her gloved hands on the side of the mug and watching as a snow flake melted in the warm liquid.

"My fondest memories of my dad are of the two of us restoring that car," he said, drinking a big gulp of his cocoa to warm up. She smiled softly, reaching out to brush a snowflake from his nose.

"That's a really nice memory," she said, moving her hand back under the blanket.

"What is the fondest memory you have of your father?" he asked, hoping that she didn't close up at the mention of her father.

He was in luck as her eyes took on a wistful glow. "There was this one time that he took me to work with him when I was ten. He was a science teacher, so he had this small lab at the school he taught at." She had a nostalgic smile on her face that he rarely saw. "He wanted to explain love to me."

"Really? How?" Booth asked, amused.

"Well… First, he gave me a rose. He told me to feel the petals, to breathe the perfume, so I did. He said that a good love was like that rose. That it could blossom into something beautiful, colorful and soft. Then he dunked it in liquid nitrogen." Booth frowned and she smiled widely. "That was my reaction too. So he took the rose and showed it to me and it was completely frozen."

"What did he do next?" Booth asked, enjoying this new soft side of her.

"He tossed it against the wall and it shattered into many pieces. He said that when we don't nurture our love, when we don't keep it warm, that it freezes and breaks with no chance of repairing it." Her smile grew wider as she looked at him. "That was also when I first fell in love with science," she said, and he laughed.

"Only a Brennan could explain love using science," he said, and she laughed lightly. He reached a hand up to sweep a few flakes from her hair, and as his warm fingers reached her skin, she shivered at the light contact, closing her eyes.

Mistaking her tremor for cold, he stood up as she opened her eyes at the sudden movement. He took his blanket, reaching a hand out to her as she questioned him with her eyes. "Come on, you're going to freeze out here."

"I don't want to go," she said, and he smiled wider as he pulled her up.

"As much as I'm flattered that you are enjoying my company, having my date freeze to death isn't how I want this night to end. Let's go," he said, leading her by the hand as they walked to his SUV.

The drive to her apartment was spent in a comfortable silence. Booth was extremely proud as he gazed at her, knowing that the smile she had on her lips were put there by him. He was all warm inside with the knowledge that he was the one who had made her happy that night.

As he pulled across the front of her apartment building, he quickly got out and went around the car to get the door for her. This time there was no raised eyebrow, no comments on his alpha-male tendencies, just a small bright smile on her face as she took his hand.

"Being the gentleman I am, I'll take you to your door," he said, opening the door for her as she opened her mouth to complain. "No complaining," he warned, putting two fingers against her lips.

"Fine," she said as she walked in front of him, pulling her gloves off her hands. When they reached her door, she tried to find a way to tell him everything she wanted to say, but didn't know how.

"Did you have fun?" he asked, looking at his shoes as he stood before her, his hands in his pockets as he swayed back and forth.

"Yes," she replied sincerely.

"I know it wasn't some fancy dinner or…" She stopped him with a finger on his lips.

"I'm positively sure that I never had as much fun on a first date," she said, and his smile was so infectious that he had her smiling as brightly.

"Well… then my mission was accomplished," he said, taking one more step towards her. "I should go," he said, and for a minute she actually felt a pang of regret.

"Right," she said. He took her hand in his, and she felt her heart beating faster as his lips brushed against her bare skin. It was so different from Hugh or Noah. When they kissed her hand, she felt repulsion mixed with disgust. But with Booth, her heart pounded while her skin felt too warm and her insides felt cold, all combined with a sudden urge to make the distance between them disappear.

"Good night, Temperance," he said it in a low, silky voice as she swallowed hard, trying to get a grip on herself.

"Good night, Booth," she replied. She immediately felt cold as he let go of her hand, walking backwards towards the stairs. He sent her one last devilishly handsome smile before leaving.

She stood there for a little while, trying to make sure that her legs were working properly as she felt a wave of new sensations inside of her. What was this feeling that left her so weak and unbalanced? Why was she suddenly euphoric, with her heart beating so fast and her head so messed up? She didn't know, and that made her feel just a little bit uneasy as she unlocked her front door. Maybe she should Google it in the morning. Maybe there she would find her answers.

* * *

**Okay, first take a deep breath, in and out... You made it!!! I know it was very long, but I couldn't leave anything out!!! And I know a lot of you expected a kiss, but I didn't feel like it was the right time, sorry!!! What do you think? Good? Bad? Let me know because this fic is far from over and I love to know what you think, and your opinions matter to me!!! Again, leave me a review and the chapter comes faster because I'm holding the next one hostage until you review!!! **


	6. Not A Date

**A/N: So here is the day after the date. It's not so fluffy as the one before, but it was a necessary chapter. One of the things I really miss in the show now is the talks between Brennan and Angela, so as you can see, I really love those scenes and I love to write them!!! Also, a huge thanks to everyone who is reviewing, you're the reason why I'm writing this so fast!!!**

**Once again, a huge thanks to my savior bertie456 for always knowing what to say and do!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

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* * *

Twenty days to Christmas_**

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On a normal winter's morning, Temperance Brennan would have hopped out of her bed seconds after her alarm went off. On a normal winter's morning, she would get up, take a shower, get some coffee and be off to the Jeffersonian without stopping to breathe.

But this wasn't a normal winter's morning. This was the morning after The First Date With Seeley Booth. And with it came the prospect of a second and a third, which was just a little too much for Brennan to deal with at 6.30am.

In her contented yet wobbly state the night before, she had forgotten to set her alarm. Sleep had come easily when the day's exhaustion caught up with her, but waking up was proving to be a little more of a challenge.

When she opened her eyes, the remnants of a good Booth-filled dream disappearing like a snowflake on the palm of her hand, the first thing she noticed was how bright her room was. Since she was so used to getting up before the crack of dawn, seeing the few rays of sunlight through her curtains was a little disorienting for her.

As she had just woken up, her mind took a few seconds to register everything, but when it did, she was up and awake in seconds. Her eyes flew to the clock beside her bed and she was immediately aware that she was an hour late for work.

Mumbling something that could either have been a string of curse words or a new species of dinosaur, she stumbled to her feet, muttering louder at the feel of cold air on her warm legs. However, in her haste to get out of her bed, said legs became tangled up in her sheets and she tumbled to the floor, mentally chastising herself for forgetting to set the alarm.

Having no time to shower, she changed her clothes quickly, downed an incredibly strong morning coffee before storming out of her apartment. By breaking about six different traffic laws, she was safely inside the Jeffersonian in ten minutes.

Cautiously, she tiptoed her way to her office, trying hard to avoid meeting any of her coworkers, especially a certain artist who would look at her for a microsecond before coming to a decision about her date. Every time she was late for work, Angela bombarded her with questions about her night, even if in reality her only male companions had been Ben and Jerry.

However, since her company that night had been a lot tastier and less calorific than her usual, Brennan was even keener to keep her head down as she slowly walked through the lab, glad that there was no sigh of the artist.

As she approached her office, she was relieved to see that the lights were off, which in turn meant that her very nosy best friend wasn't inside, waiting to pull a Spanish Inquisition on her. Glancing around, she opened the door and quickly stepped inside, closing the door behind her and she pressing herself against the glass.

However, when she crossed the office towards the outside windows, her nose registered the unusual scent of something she didn't quite recognize. Reaching the blinds, she pulled them up to let the sunlight in, illuminating her entire office and revealing the source of the strange smell.

"Oh God!" she exclaimed as her eyes swept over the room.

Huge vases filled with dark red roses were all over her office; on her desk, on her coffee table, around her couch, on the chairs. She froze for a second, her mind trying to work on the best escape rout as she took a step forward.

However, she only made it halfway across her office before her nose began to tingle. It wasn't a light tingle, which could be eliminated with a swipe of a hand across the nose, but the persistent, insatiable one she knew so well.

She breathed in and out, willing her body to obey to her commands.

But it was all to no avail. She sneezed. Hard. Three times. Much like machine gun fire.

Cursing loudly, she crossed the office quickly towards the door, snatching what she hoped was an explanatory note from the desk as she went. As soon as she stepped outside, firmly closing the door behind her, she felt relief wash over her.

That was before she again produced a mildly amusing but deeply embarrassing triple sneeze. Sniffling miserably, she stuffed the little note in her back pocket as she walked to Angela's office, her approach heralded by yet more sneezes.

Hearing the familiar combination of sneeze-annoyed growl-louder sneeze, the artist smirked to herself, taking a box of Kleenex and placing it in front of the chair she knew would be soon occupied. Her psychic senses were fully functioning and a few seconds later, Brennan opened the door to Angela's office, and wordlessly took a tissue from the box and wiped her nose.

"Did you know about it?" the anthropologist asked, removing the tissue from her nose now that the skin there was a light shade of pink.

Angela eyed her with a smile. "That depends what "it" is. If it's that Zach was dating Naomi again, then yes. If it's that there's been some fascinatingly interesting skeleton found in Outer-God-Knows-Where, then no."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "The roses in my office," she said, taking another tissue from the box as she felt another sneeze brewing.

"There are roses in your office?" Angela asked, surprised, receiving a nod from her friend. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but I really didn't know."

"Then who opened the door to put them there?" she asked pitifully, wiping her nose again. Angela watched the wiping with a shake of her head.

"Dab, sweetie." Brennan blinked at her and she elaborated. "Dab, don't wipe. Stops your nose from looking so festive." She glowered at her, but followed her advice nonetheless while Angela promptly changed the subject. "So who sent you the bouquet? Hugh again?"

"Yeah," Brennan said as she handed Angela the card, "And it's not so much a bouquet as the entire contents of the White House Rose Garden."

That caught Angela's attention. "The White House?!" she asked, incredulously, before realizing that, for once, she was the one being slightly too literal. "Oh." Fixing her friend with a sympathetic smile, she said, "No wonder your allergy was back so fast." Taking the card from the small envelope, Angela started laughing as she read the contents, "One rose for every minute I thought of you. Well, he's original, huh?"

"So is Gormagon," Temperance replied bitterly, sneezing again.

Angela smiled but said sincerely, "I'm sorry, sweetie, but I didn't see it. If I had seen it, I would have gotten it out before you got here. Would've loved to see Jack's face if I'd turned up with roses from another man."

Brennan relaxed slightly, pacified by her friend's non-involvement in her allergy attack. Seeing this, the artist decided to seize the opportunity. "So, since you go to your office first thing every morning, and since you only found the roses now, that means you were late today."

"I overslept," Brennan said truthfully but Angela was not so easily deterred.

"Date keep you up all night, did he?"

"No, I forgot to set my alarm," said the anthropologist firmly.

Firmness meant nothing to Angela. "You never forget to set the alarm. There is something you're not telling me," she pondered, her eyes scanning her face, "You're kind of glowy, but it's definitely not the I-had-amazing-sex-with-my-mysterious-partner glow."

"Sex with my partner?" Brennan choked out, panicked. "Angela, Booth and I didn't have sex."

Angela raised her eyebrows, smiling. "Come on, give me a little credit. I think I'd know if you and Booth had sex. No, I mean the mysterious partner you had on your blind date last night and oh my God it was Booth."

Temperance gaped for a moment, bewildered by her sudden deduction.The artist grinned triumphantly. "And I'm taking that silence as a yes." Leaning forward she asked curiously, "So how was it? Was he a good date? I bet he was a good kisser. Tell me he was a good kisser."

"I wouldn't know," she said quickly before asking, confused, "Wait, did you not know it was Booth? I thought you were the one who arranged it?"

"He told me he'd find someone for you," she replied, still grinning. "I did not know it would be him though." Her eyes took on a wistful glint. "Kind of romantic though, huh?"

"No," Brennan answered firmly before correcting, "I mean, it was just a friendly thing. We're still just partners."

"A date? You went on a friendly date? Bren, when a couple looks like you two, there is no such thing as a friendly date."

"Ange, we're not a couple-"Sighing, the artist waved away this minor inconvenience.

"So what did you do on this friendly date?"

Deciding that her question was (mostly) sincere, Brennan replied, "We went skating at a rink that his uncle owns. It was out by the Maryland border, and because of his family connections, it was just the two of us out there. There was lots of room to skate."

"Lots of room?" the artist repeatedly incredulously, astounded by her friend's reasoning. "Never mind. Then what?"

"We sat on a bench with blankets and hot chocolate and we talked," Brennan said, not realizing the dreamy look she had on her face as she remembered the events surrounding her evening. Angela noticed it, smiling widely at the visible happiness emanating from her friend.

"That sounds so perfect. A date skating under the stars then snuggling with blankets and hot chocolate… I bet he gave you one hell of a goodnight kiss."

Brennan's eyes grew wide, and she said nervously, "No, of course not. We're just partners."

"Honey, the man took you to a private ice rink, brought hot chocolate to keep you warm-"

"He bought me a hat and gloves too," Brennan informed her, always unwilling to omit facts.

Angela just sighed before continuing, "… and then you snuggled. Snuggling is definitely not a partnerlike activity."

"It was something between friends, okay?" the anthropologist reiterated. "I had a wonderful time but there's nothing more to it. He just wanted to cheer me up."

"Honey, he could cheer you up by getting you pie. But planning a date like that... It means more, you know?"

Before Brennan could protest, Hodgins came through the door to Angela's office, a curious Zach in tow. "What are you two gossiping about?" asked the entomologist, handing Angela a file with a smile and a kiss.

"Bren went out on a date with Booth," Angela informed them cheerfully.

"Angela!" Brennan exclaimed, suddenly very embarrassed at the wide-eyed stares she was receiving from her friends.

"About damn time," Hodgins murmured with a smile, and to everyone's surprise, Zach nodded in agreement.

"I concur. After reading a book on body language, you and Agent Booth's interaction with each other appears remarkably similar to something described as 'flirting'. Apparently this often leads to dating and sexual intercourse."

Hodgins looked at Angela, his smile widening, "There was sexual intercourse involved?"

"No!" Brennan interrupted firmly, her cheeks down matching the Rudolph-like quality of her nose. "There was no sex, no flirting and no date."

"Memory loss is quite common after a traumatic event," Zach helpfully contributed.

Angela rounded on the young scientist. "Traumatic event? How would dating Booth be a traumatic event?"

Before Zach could answer, Temperance spoke up again, louder, "It was not a date!"

"What wasn't a date?' asked Cam, who suddenly entered the office.

"Brennan's private evening alone with Booth last night," Angela informed her with a smile.

"Angela!" she exclaimed again, becoming extremely annoyed with the sudden invasion of her personal life.

"You went on a date with Booth?" asked Cam, surprised.

Brennan fought the urge to scream, instead settling for a reiteration of her new mantra, "It wasn't a date."

"Where did you go?" Cam inquired, curiously.

"They went skating, and later they sat on a bench and drank hot chocolate. And snuggled," said the artist, beaming.

Cam smirked. "I'm sorry, Dr. Brennan, but that's a date," she said pointedly and was instantly on the receiving end of Brennan's death glare.

"It was not a date!" she said loudly, frustrated as she sneezed twice more, making her feel more and more annoyed with everything.

Angela sensed her friend's distress, and deciding that a talk between just them was better, she ushered everyone out. "Come on, out, people," she said, pushing her reluctant boyfriend out before closing the door and turning to her sneezing friend. "Okay, now it's just us."

"It wasn't a date, Angela. So stop pushing this," Brennan said before the artist could get another word out.

Angela sighed, sitting in front of Brennan as she took her hand. "Honey, I'm sorry. I just thought it was a good thing and that they'd all want to know about it." Temperance looked up at her, eyes watery from her allergy, and she continued, "I didn't mean to make you angry, sweetie. But just don't make any mistakes, okay?"

Her words were so gentle and so disarming that Brennan had no alternative but to smile. "I know you're just looking out for me, Ange, and I appreciate it, but I'm fine, really. Booth and I, we're just friends. We had a lot of fun, and it was a really good night, but that's it," she said, earning a hug from her friend.

"If you're sure," Angela said with a soft smile that Brennan returned between sniffles.

The moment was interrupted when someone called from the doorway, "Excuse me, Dr. Brennan, you have a delivery." They both stood, turning to see a courier standing there, a large box in his hands.

"I got it," Angela said as she made her way over to the courier.

"Sign here," he instructed as he handed her the pen. He smiled at her, passing her the parcel and excusing himself before leaving.

Angela eyed the box carefully, noticing that it was very light. "What do you think are the chances of this being something other than human remains, bear scat or something else that I don't want to see before lunch?" she said, and Brennan rolled her eyes before taking the package. Ripping the tape off the lid, Brennan quickly lifted the cardboard flaps before finally seeing what it was.

"What is it?" Angela asked, seeing the large smile on Brennan's face. She was shocked when Brennan took the object from the box and placed it on the desk. It was a stuffed Pooh Bear wearing a Santa hat. "That's so cute," Angela squealed, taking the cuddly animal in her hands. "Who sent it?"

"There's a card," Brennan said, reaching for it inside the box. She opened it, her eyes lighting up as she read it aloud, "A little Christmas gift for my favorite clown."

"Clown? What the hell does that mean?" Angela asked, deeply confused by now.

"It's from Booth," Brennan said, slipping the card into her pocket as she took the bear from Angela. The artist watched Brennan handle her gift with care, her eyes shining as her fingers played with the Santa hat.

"And you tell me it was just a night between friends," Angela said, and Brennan glared at her, clearly annoyed. "I know, I know, you're just partners. Tell you what, you can go sit in the lounge for now while I take those roses out of your office. And while you're there, please think about the kind of partner who would buy you a huge cuddly bear," Angela insisted with a smile.

"There is nothing to think about. It was just a night between friends," Brennan said firmly, taking her eyes off of the adorable present for just a second.

Angela stood up, turning on her heels as she walked out, calling over her shoulder, "Denial isn't just a river in Egypt, honey."

"I don't know what that means," Brennan called back, once again entranced by the bear.

The artist rolled her eyes, murmuring as she went, "Don't know why I bother."

Meanwhile, coming from the other direction, Booth whistled as he strode down the corridors of the lab, tossing his poker chip up and down in the air with his other hand securely tucked in his pocket. Grinning as he approached his partner's office, he expected to see her sitting behind her desk, but instead found it empty.

Frowning, he made his way over to the platform, but again, she was nowhere to be seen. Scanning himself in, he climbed the steps slowly, approaching the woman with the dark soft waves standing before one of the screens.

"Hey Angela," he called, and the artist turned with a big smile on her face.

"Hey, G-man. Looking for Bren?" she asked as he looked around, his eyes searching.

"Yeah, where is she?" he asked, trying not to sound too eager.

"She's up in the lounge. Hugh sent her roses, so her office was the worst place for her to stay today." She didn't miss the small flicker of amusement that crossed his eyes, and neither did she miss the way his eyes immediately traveled in the direction she said Brennan was. "Nice move, by the way," she added, sounding casual as she pretended to work on the sketch in her hands.

"What?" he asked, his attention temporarily elsewhere when the question was asked.

"The date, Booth. It was pretty smooth," she said, and he laughed out loud as he began to back away.

"Don't know what you're talking about. It was just a night between friends," he stated with a small smile.

"You keep telling yourself that," said Angela, laughing for a second before becoming a little more serious. "Booth?" she called before he was completely out of earshot.

"Yeah?" he said as he turned back to face her.

"Be careful," she warned, although 'Hurt my friend and I'll kick your ass, gun be damned' was the clear subtext.

"Always," he replied sincerely, waving at her as he walked towards the lounge.

Brennan was concentrating on a report as Booth made his way over to where she was sitting, her legs crossed and Pooh Bear seated on her lap, apparently as interested in the report as she was. "Hey Bones."

She was startled, taking her eyes from the folder to look at her handsome partner as he stood against the railing, his smile never faltering. "Hey Booth," she said, smiling back as he approached, sitting beside her and patting the bear on the head. "Thank you for the gift, by the way. You didn't have to."

"I wanted to," he said, playing with the end of the Santa hat as she unconsciously hugged her present.

"Booth, about last night, it was…" He cut her off, placing a finger over her lips as he gazed at her.

"Amazing, okay? It was a great night between two friends who enjoy each other's company. I don't want you to analyze it or boil it down to anthropology," he said, taking his finger away as her protests seemed to die  
down. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, I told you I did. I haven't had that much fun during the Christmas season for over sixteen years," she said softly, and his grin was warm.

"So have I changed your mind about this time of year?" he asked, a cocky smile on his lips.

"Not really. It takes a lot more than just one very good date to change my mind about this holiday," she said, the challenge in her voice like a call to arms.

"Then by all means let me convince you," he said, and she stared at him blankly for a moment. "You said it takes a lot more, so I accept the challenge. Let me show you how good Christmas can be."

"I don't know… I'm not sure if this is a good idea…" she said uncertainly, a red warning light flashing inside her head as she searched for excuses.

"Come on, Bones. Do you trust me?" he asked, eyes filled with sincerity.

"Yes," she replied without hesitation.

"Then let me do this. Let me show you," he pleaded, and the hope she saw in his face was so innocent that she no choice but to give in.

"Fine," she said with feigned annoyance. He grinned at her, taking her hand in his as he pulled them both up. "Where are you taking me?" she inquired as he guided her towards her now-rose-free office.

"We're going to leave your bear in your office, and then, we're going to lunch because I'm starving," he said, taking the hat from the bear and placing it on her head. "You're not going to regret this, Bones," he promised, a smile now fixed on his lips as they made their way downstairs.

_I hope you're right_, she thought as they walked, his hand in hers, warm and soft.

* * *

**Okay, so for the next chapter we have another Christmas non-date. Let me know what you think about this chapter and the next always comes faster (I know, I'm blackmailing you!!! Shame on me!!!) Give me your ideas, your opinions because you know that to me, they always matter!!! Kisses!!!**


	7. A Whiff Of Attraction

**A/N: So I am again with more of this Christmas story of mine. I hope you like this chapter, and the fluff within. I'm having a wet Christmas, since in my home town, we have only rain and no snow (I've never seen snow!!!) , so I'm currently barricaded inside my own warm home, and I have only you lovely people to keep me company!!!**

**As always a huge thanks to bertie456 for being the most effective beta in the word!!! Don't know what I would do with this fic without you!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

* * *

_**Sixteen days to Christmas**_

* * *

"Do we really have to go in there?" Brennan asked as she gazed wide eyed at the crowd inside the very busy mall. Spending an entire afternoon searching for presents while enduring the ear-splitting cries of spoiled children who weren't given what they wanted was not her idea of Christmas fun. 

"What do you suggest, Bones? Online shopping? Because otherwise, we have to go in there," Booth said as he pushed her through the automatic doors. The sound of crying mixed with the loud mumble of many different voices immediately assaulted her ears as they entered.

"Is this the only idea you've got to convince me of the magic of Christmas?" she asked with a teasing smile as they passed a mother rocking her young baby while trying to calm the other sobbing child at her feet.

"No, it's not. But shopping is a part of the Christmas season. I have to buy some gifts, and you have to buy some too, so we can just do it together while I talk you into finally seeing that I'm always right," he said, the full-wattage smile on his lips preventing any hostile reaction from her as she couldn't help but smile back.

"You know that charm smile doesn't work on me," she stated. _What a lie_, she thought as she felt the little familiar warmth spreading through her insides.

"You're a difficult woman, you know that?"

"Thank you," she replied, knowing it wasn't a compliment. "So where do we start?"

"Did you make the list like I told you?" he asked, and she removed a small crumpled piece of paper and handed it to him. "Wow, Bones, I think this is the first time you ever did something I told you to do."

That earned him a slap on the arm. "Shut up and read it," she said, glaring playfully at him. His eyes scanned over the short list, nodding in satisfaction at her gift-buying preparation.

"So, which do you prefer? The ladies or the gentlemen first?" he asked, wiggling his brows as she laughed.

"Whatever works better for you. It's not like I have a lot of experience with this kind of thing," Brennan replied, looking around at the various stores, which were all brightly decorated with Christmas lights and tinsel. As skeptical as she was about the holiday, Brennan was the first to admit that the decorations were always marvelous.

"Okay, so we both have to get something for Angela and Cam, and you have to get something for Russ' girlfriend," he said, doing a mental check list is his head to make sure he didn't leave any women out while they both stepped onto the escalator to the second floor. His present for his mother was already bought so she was one less thing to worry about at the moment.

"Angela gave me a few ideas for presents. She said women like to get perfume, clothes, lingerie…"

She was cut off as Booth asked incredulously, "Lingerie?"

"Angela told me that women like nice sets of lingerie as a present," Brennan said, not understanding his shock. She stepped off the escalator as it reached the top, her eyes scanning the new stores as she tried to find a place to start their shopping spree.

"Isn't that a little too personal?" he asked, almost wincing at the memory of the slap one of his former girlfriends had given him upon receiving some very uncomfortable and very revealing Santa-themed lingerie for Christmas.

"Angela told me that she spends more money on lingerie then she does on rent," Brennan said, clearly amused by her best friend's priorities. "I think that's a safe gift option for her."

"Okay..." he said, deciding that for once, he could trust Brennan on this. "But what about Cam and Amy?"

"I was thinking perfume could be a good idea," she said, pointing to a Victoria's Secret store ten feet from where they stood.

"Okay, so how is it that you know Victoria's Secret?" Booth asked, amused, as they both walked towards the pink store, the festively if scantily clad mannequins lining the display-window.

"Angela gave me a set from here once," she said as she smiled at him openly. "It was too tight, so I had to change it."

Booth swallowed hard, images of his partner in fitted, revealing and unpartnerlike lingerie springing to mind. Unable to form full words, he just repeated, "Too tight?"

"She bought me a B and I'm really closer to a D," she said casually, leaving Booth again struggling with mental pictures as she turned to face the salesgirl who had approached her.

"Can I help you?" the small blonde asked with a smile as Brennan gazed at the numerous racks, her bewilderment evident on her face.

"Yes, please," she said with relief as she ushered Booth inside, a dumb look on his face as he tried hard to concentrate on her eyes rather than the part of her anatomy that had previously been the topic of conversation.

"So what are kind of lingerie are you looking for?" inquired the salesgirl, whose nametag read 'Katie' in bright pink letters.

"I'm trying to find a present for a friend of mine," Brennan said, her fingers smoothing down the lace of a bra she found on one of the racks.

"Do you know her size?" Katie asked, making a bee line towards a counter as Brennan and Booth followed.

"I'm not sure," she answered, feeling slightly foolish for not having acquired this information earlier. "What do you think, Booth?"

His eyes snapped up, embarrassment clear on his face as he started to flush profusely. "What am I, a pervert now? How should I know her bra size?" he asked indignantly, his face warm as both women stared at him in amusement.

"I was meerely asking for your opinion," Brennan said defensively, turning to Katie, who merely eyed Booth curiously, and deducing, "Well, I'm a 32D and I think Angela's got a slightly wider ribcage than I have, so she'd probably be a 34. As for cup size, I'd guess she's a B." She looked down at herself as she reconsidered. "Actually, maybe a C."

Turning to her partner to ask for his thoughts, Brennan raised her eyebrows as she saw Booth's eyes fixed firmly south of her shoulders. Crossing her arms under her breasts, she inquired with a smile, "Trying to measure them, Booth?"

Busted, Booth brought his eyes hurriedly back up to hers, his cheeks now matching the color of the bright red panties hanging behind him. "Sorry, Bones," he said sheepishly, trying to fix a repentant expression on his face.

The sales assistant appeared to be highly amused as she took a thick folder from under the counter, placing it in front of Brennan.

"So here we have a catalogue of our different collections. You can choose the ones that you like best, and I'll get the different sizes so you can see which one will fit on your friend, okay?" asked Katie, her friendly manner making Brennan feel more comfortable.

About five minutes later Brennan had picked out five different possible options for Angela and seven for herself since she felt it would be logical for her to make good use of the shopping trip and buy for herself while she was there.

"Booth," she called, smirking as she saw partner distractedly looking at the many posters of various different models, all of whom wore just their promotional lingerie and a smile.

Caught in the act again, Booth cleared his throat as he made his way over to her, humming along with the loud song playing throughout the store. "Done already, Bones?" he asked, wishing that she would just pick the first thing she saw so he could leave already.

"No, I haven't. And if you don't help, I swear I'll leave you to choose your present for Zach and Hodgins on your own," she threatened. "Good luck shopping in the Science section of the book store."

"You wouldn't," he dared, pointing a finger at her in an attempt to intimidate, but she just smirked.

"Try me," she dared in return, and he was the one to back down.

"How can I help?" he inquired with a sigh, leaning over the counter as he flipped through the open catalogue.

"Just tell me which one you like best. You're a guy, right?" she asked, receiving a glare as an answer. "So it shouldn't be a problem for you."

Just then the sales assistant came over, various bras in hand. "So here are the sets you chose. Some of them come in different colors, so if you don't like it, I can change," she said as she placed them all on the counter.

Booth eyed the items curiously, playing with the lace and cotton before lifting a black and pink lace bra in Brennan's face. "Isn't this a little too sexy as a Christmas present for a friend?" he asked, teasing her as she snatched the item from him.

"That's not for Angela, it's for me," she said.

Backfired, he thought as his mind was now conjuring up images of her wearing only the black and pink bra and panties while crawling over in his bed with a seductive smile on her face. A hand waving in front of his face pulled him out of his daydreaming as he now focused on his confused and fully clothed partner.

"You okay there, Booth?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

"Fine, Bones. So… huh… what are you getting Angela?" he questioned, rubbing his hand over his face to clear his thoughts. Brennan smiled, lifting an underwear set for his perusal.

"What do you think?" she asked, obviously proud of her accomplishment in choosing what she believed to be the perfect gift. It was a pair of baby-pink panties with ruffled black trim and black letters on the back that read "slap". The bra was similar, but over the breast, matching black letters spelled "tickle".

Booth laughed, an amused smile on his face as he spoke, "I think that's perfect for Angela."

The bright smile on Brennan's face rewarded him for all the embarrassment he had experienced. "Okay, so I'll take this one, gift wrapped," she said, handing it over to Katie.

Booth rubbed his hands together, the prospect of finally getting out of the store brightening his mood. "So all you need is to pay and we're outta here," he said cheerfully.

With a shake of her head, Brennan crushed that hope. "Not yet. I'm going to try on some of these bras," she said, and Booth's expression fell at the same time as his mind began to wander off to dangerous territories.

"You can go to the fitting rooms right over there," Katie said, pointing to the far end of the store. "We ask that your boyfriend stays outside though."

Booth froze as Brennan coughed awkwardly, turning quickly back to Katie. "We're just friends," she said firmly, embarrassed as she imagined Booth pressed against her in the very small cubicle that was the fitting room.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the salesgirl said with a smile. "I'll leave you to it; call me if you need any help." Brennan nodded in thanks and headed towards the fitting rooms, while Katie fixed Booth with a skeptical look that read 'Because so many women bring a male friend to a lingerie store.'

When Booth and Brennan made it to the fitting rooms, she pushed her bag and coat over to him as she closed the door behind her with a smile, firmly locking it. Booth swallowed hard as he saw as her blouse fall to the floor, soon followed by the black lace bra she was wearing.

Think baseball, he thought as he looked up, ignoring the curious stares he was getting from some of the attendants nearby. His plan failed as his thoughts turned to picturing making his way through all the bases with his gorgeous partner. Annoyed with his own lack of control, he paced from side to side impatiently.

"Booth?" Brennan called from inside the fitting room.

"Yeah?" he called back, praying she wouldn't ask him anything that would require extra hours in confession that weekend.A pair of purple panties came sailing over the door, accompanied by the instruction, "Could you find me a pair of these in blue?"

Sighing, and resigning himself to losing another hour of his Sunday, Booth headed back out into the store trying to match the panties in his hand to those on the racks. After searching through what felt like a sea of lace, he finally located the desired pair and headed quickly back to his partner, lobbing both pairs over the door as he called, "There you go, Bones."

There was a brief pause before both pairs came flying back. "In my size, Booth."

He stared at the two scraps of lace in his hand. "Well what size are you?"

"Small," she replied, as though he should have known. "You got me a large."

Knowing women's sensitivity towards any suggestion that their rear was less than petite, he apologized hurriedly, "Sorry, Bones. I didn't mean-"

"Just go find the panties, Booth," she replied firmly, and he once again trudged off, not enjoying the public humiliation involved in being a lone man rummaging through women's lingerie in a large store.

It was with relief that he located the desired pair and practically sprinted across the store, tossing them over the door and saying, "There you go, Bones. Now would you hurry up or the stores'll be closing soon."

"Alright, alright," she replied and Booth heard a lot of moving around before she emerged, fully dressed and clutching a large number of items.

"Are you buying anything?" he asked, eyeing the items in her hand curiously. After today, Booth had a lot more material to work with in his late night dreaming with a certain stubborn anthropologist.

"Just a couple of bras and matching panties," she said casually, showing him her selection of the black and pink set he was teasing her with and a baby pink lacy matching set.

"Okay, so let's pay," he said, shoving her purse and coat into her hands as he guided her in Katie's direction, watching as the two women then walked over to the cash register. He continued to watch as the assistant said something to her and she laughed loudly, a warm sound that Booth hardly ever heard but treasured. It took him a few seconds but he soon realized that they were both looking at him, an amused smile on both their faces.

Stay cool, he thought as he tried to remain casual, leaning back against the counter. But he miscalculated his weight, and promptly knocked over a rack of clothes which dominoed into another, scattering push-up bras and velvety Santa negligees across the floor. Blushing furiously, he mumbled his apologies to the three highly amused salesgirls who were now working on tidying his mess.

Smooth, he thought as Brennan, walked over to him, bags in hand, clearly trying hard not to openly laugh in his face. Very, very smooth. "Come on, Booth, before you bring the whole store down," she said teasingly and he glared at her, apologizing again to the salesgirls as he jogged to catch up with his partner.

"What were you laughing about with the cashier?" he asked.

"She just told me that she'd love to see your face when you see me in the new lingerie," Brennan said in a no-big-deal tone.

"What?" he asked loudly as his currently naughty mind made the link between the information received and the picture he was now forming in his head. This was very, very bad.

"She just thought that we were romantically involved. There's no reason to be so offended it about it," Brennan said, sounding a little offended herself.

"I'm not offended. It's just… it caught me by surprise a little, that's all," he defended, trying not to get on her bad side. She seemed to accept his answer as she gazed at the various stores lining the mall.

"So, where do we go now?" she asked.

"Perfume store," Booth answered as he took half of her bags. "It's half, so it's equal weight for both of us," he said before she could reprehend him.

She just smiled, amused that nowadays he always seemed to know what she was going to say before she said it. They walked side by side over to the perfume store, stealing frequent glances at each other en route. Reaching the store, they saw the various different colored bottles displayed in the window, creating a kaleidoscopic effect on the mall floor.

Distracted, Brennan didn't see the man standing a few feet in front of her. "Would the lady like to try this new fragrance?" he inquired, and before she could respond, he sprayed her with it.

She coughed a few times, fixing him with a threatening glare as she thought about having him swallow the bottle. "What is this?" she asked as she sniffed the air, turning her nose in disgust. "Great, now I smell like an eggplant." Frustrated, she entered the store, placing her bag on the counter and searching for tissues. When she found them, she wiped her blouse and arms, not caring about the quiet laughter coming from her partner.

"I'm so sorry, miss," said the salesman, looking apologetically over at the now-calmer Brennan. "How can I help?"

"Could you show us some ladies' perfumes?" Booth asked, coming closer to the counter as he warned, "Oh and next time, you might want to let the person respond before spraying them."

"That would be a good idea," Brennan added as she tossed the tissues in the garbage, her icy glare reminding the man how close he had come to having a broken bone.

"I apologize again, miss," he said, the small metal nametag on his chest bearing the name Ron in gold.

"It's fine. Just show us the perfume," she said, wanting nothing more than to be home with a nice bottle of wine and a good book instead of fighting off hordes of Christmas shoppers.

"What kind of fragrance are you looking for?" Ron asked and Booth exchanged glances with Brennan as she shrugged.

"What kind of perfume does Cam wear?" she asked, and he thought for a while before responding.

"I'm not sure, but I think she'd like something clean, you know? Clean and feminine," Booth said, satisfied with his own reasoning.

"I agree," Brennan concurred and Ron nodded, circling the counter and going over to one of the display shelves. He handed a small container to Brennan, and Booth frowned as she sniffed it, before passing it to him. He looked inside, his frown deepening as he saw its content.

"Coffee beans? What's it for?" he asked.

"It helps to enhance our olfactory abilities," Brennan said, and he sniffed, amazed at the new piece of information.

Ron continued with his sales pitch, "Here are some fragrances that might interest you. They have a refreshing scent of lilies with an undertone of citrus." Brennan sniffed the proffered strip lightly, shrugging as she handed it over to Booth. Between the selections of perfumed strips offered by Ron, they both sniffed the coffee beans, which in turn, left them craving a hot cup of the caffeinated beverage.

At the fifth strip, they both agreed on a fragrance called 'Biography', and an elegant square bottle filled with a peach colored liquid was separated for wrapping.

"Now we need something for Amy," Booth prompted.

"Actually, Angela gave me the name for a fragrance she knew. It was called 'Surrender'," Brennan said, looking over at the sales assistant. "Do you have it?"

"Of course," he replied as he walked over to a shelf and, spraying some of the perfume on a stripe, he handed it to Brennan.

"It's very good," she said, handing it to Booth, and when he nodded in agreement, she added, "I'll take this one too."

Satisfied with their progress, Booth scanned the shelves for other perfumes, saying, "I'm going to choose a perfume for Angela, and maybe you could choose some aftershave or something for your dad, what do you think?"

A wry smile played on Brennan's lips. "Maybe not. He told me that a man smelling too good inside prison is not a good thing, if you know what I mean."

Booth laughed loudly, amused by her comment, but suggested, "Okay, then, maybe you could choose something for Russ."

"I was thinking clothes for Russ," Brennan pondered, leaning over to see what Booth was looking at. "Maybe a romantic flowery fragrance for Ange?" He smiled in appreciation, and Ron was already spraying the stripes.

After many tries, Booth settled for a perfume called 'Catalyst', and a near-spherical container with a clear pink liquid inside was chosen. "I guess we're done," Brennan said, mentally crossing off the names on her list as she looked at the neatly wrapped packages.

"What perfume do you wear?" Booth asked curiously, leaning over her to try and catch the faint scent of her fragrance.

"I can find out, if you want," Ron said, slightly overenthusiastically, and also leant over Brennan to sniff her neck.

Being the overprotective male he was, Booth wasted no time in standing between his partner and the salesman arms folded. "No need, buddy," he said through gritted teeth while Brennan seemed both amused and annoyed as she produced her credit card for payment.

When he was confident that the assistant wouldn't try to sniff his partner again, Booth turned and gave his credit card as well. As they left the store, Booth guided Brennan out with a hand on her back, glaring at Ron as they walked out.

"So we need to buy for the men now?" Brennan asked as they walked over to the escalators.

"Yep, we still have Parker, your dad, Russ, Zach and Hodgins," Booth listed.

"Okay, so why don't we split up? We can both go find something for my brother and for my dad, then we separate and you can go find the presents for Parker and Amy's kids while I go to the bookstore and find something for Zach and Hodgins."

"You just don't want to go to the toy store with me," he said teasingly, and she blushed.

"No, I just think that this is an effective way for us to save some time so we can both go home sooner," she replied indignantly.

"Right," he said sarcastically, laughing as they stepped of the escalator before heading over into the men's section of a department store.

As Brennan walked over to a rack filled with different shirts, Booth was taken by surprise as he was cornered by the salesman, who asked cheerfully, "Can I help you?"

Feeling slightly uncomfortable as the smaller man sized him up with an appraising glance, Booth instinctively stepped closer to Brennan, saying, "I was looking for ties."

Keeping his eyes fixed on Booth, the salesman, who was apparently named Harry, said triumphantly, "Well, you came to the right place." Without any further preamble, he guided a very awkward Booth across the store with his hand on the small of his back, just as the agent himself so often did with Brennan.

Seeing her partner's helpless glance back at her, Temperance stifled a laugh, but couldn't stop her lips from curving up in a smile when she saw the murderous look on Booth's face as Harry started lacing his neck with a tie. "Excuse me," she called, drawing the salesman's attention away from her anxious partner, "Could you maybe find some shirts in his size, please."

Harry nodded. "Of course." He then hurried off, leaving them alone as Booth approached Brennan quickly. "If he touches me again, I swear I'll shoot him," said the flustered agent, eyeing the departing assistant with suspicion.

"That's a premeditated crime, you know?" she said, smoothing down a silk red tie against his chest for measure. "What do you think?"

He frowned, looking down at the tie she chose, "Not to point out the obvious, but your brother doesn't wear suits that often. And red would kind of clash with orange," Booth said, grinning as she glared at him.

"Actually, I was thinking about getting a tie for Zach. He's an expert witness more often now, and I just want to help him look presentable and credible," she reasoned, changing the red tie for a blue one.

"Okay," he said as he nodded to the tie she chose, "But just make sure you don't pick one like mine. It could be really embarrassing if we showed up in the lab wearing matching ties." Brennan laughed, before opting for the slightly less flashy blue tie.

Just then, Harry rounded the counter again. "So here I have some really nice Italian shirts which I think would look wonderful. Very soft, gorgeous texture," he said to a smirking Brennan while Booth suppressed a shudder. Taking one of the shirts, Booth held it up for Brennan to inspect, saying, "Do you think this would fit Russ?"

"I'm not sure," she replied, eyeing him critically. "I think Russ has a smaller build than you. Why don't you try it on?" she suggested, ushering him to the fitting rooms.

"These things always look better on," Harry said confidently, and Booth just stared at him before disappearing into the cubicle. Watching the curtain close, the sales assistant turned to Brennan, asking conversationally, "So is this a special event, or did you two just feel like going wild today?"

"Yes," she said absently, processing the connotations of "going wild" a moment later and correcting, "I mean, no… We, uh… It's just..."

He gave her an understanding smile. "Don't worry, honey. I know how a guy like that can turn you into mush," Harry said, patting her arm as he turned to arrange the rack of ties. Brennan just stood there, thinking about the impossibility of someone turning into mush unless there were various chemical components involved, like the time when they found the melted body inside the tub.

A couple of minutes later, Booth emerged from the fitting room, redressed in his own shirt and carrying the possible present for Russ. Seeing that he'd left a couple of buttons undone in his hurry to change, Brennan couldn't stop herself from gazing at the skin showing, the golden tone of it hypnotizing her as she wondered how it would feel to run her fingers down his toned chest.

"Bones," he called out, noticing how her eyes were unfocused. Getting no response he called again, louder, "Bones?"

It had the desired effect as her head snapped up, her cheeks flushed as she was caught staring. "Did it fit?" she asked, changing the subject quickly and hoping he hadn't noticed where she was staring.

"It was a bit tight, so it should fit your brother perfectly," he answered, placing the shirt on the counter. "What color are you getting?"

"I don't know. Blue, maybe?" she asked, lifting the blue shirt for him to see. He nodded approvingly, and she smiled in return.

"My mother always used to say that joint decisions are the mark of a good relationship," Harry remarked with a smile, and their attention snapped back at the forgotten salesman.

"We're just friends," Temperance said, and Booth backed her up with a firm nod.

"Okay then," said Harry, not really convinced. Looking over at Booth, he noticed the open buttons. "Um, Sir, you've got a few..." He reached over, indicating the buttons, but Brennan quickly intervened.

"I got it," she said, tugging briefly on the shirt to tell Booth to close the buttons which he did with a grateful smile. "We'll take this shirt and tie," Brennan said, handing it over to Harry, "All gift wrapped please."

"No problem," said Harry as he walked towards the cash register. Brennan provided her credit card once again while Booth leaned closer and closer to her, trying to send a clear message to the over-friendly Harry. When they were handed their bags, they both left, and Booth quickened his pace a little more as Harry waved at them.

"So now you're going to the toy store while I go to the book store," said Brennan, a small hint of triumph on her voice as she envisioned her partner walking through the children-filled store.

"Be careful, alright?"

"Why would I need to be careful to go to a book store? What danger can it present?" she asked, amused.

"Just don't hit any Santas on the way, okay?" he said, receiving a confused stare as they walked.

When he first spotted the Santa distributing candy to the kids, he considered giving the old man a head's up before he offered Brennan anything. But he was too late, and as they approached, a candy was stretched her way. Bracing himself for the anthropological speech on how the Christmas holiday was once a religious celebration and was now just a festive of commercial exploitation, he frowned as nothing came.

Instead, she smiled as she gratefully accepted the heart-shaped red lollipop from the white bearded old man. He watched in amusement as she unwrapped the candy, sucking on it slowly.

She saw him watching her, a smile on his face that she couldn't quite understand, and in a very child-like manner, she stuck her tongue out, now bright red like her heart shaped candy. He laughed at her playful behavior.

"Don't forget to get something for Haley and Emma. Also, get something for Parker from me," she said as she took the lollipop from her mouth, disappearing from his sight as she walked towards the book store.

Twenty minutes later they met up at the same spot, each caring a few more bags than before, especially Booth, since he refused to share the load of toys.

"So what did you get?" he asked, noticing the large bag filled with books she was caring.

"I got a conspiracy theories book for Hodgins and a study of indigenous South American tribes for Zach. For my dad, I got a book called 'The History of Rock 'n' Roll'," she said, happy with her selection as she knew her dad loved music.

"Good choice," Booth said, glancing over the now half-filled mall. "Can we go leave now?"

"Yes, please," she said, excited at the prospect of being safely inside her own apartment.

"What do you say we go to my place? I make some popcorn, and we watch some Christmas movies..." he asked hopefully, not wanting her to spend the rest of her day on her own in her apartment.

She seemed to think about it for a while as they walked towards the exit, before deciding, "Sure, but I pick the movie."

"How can you pick the movie? You don't know any," he said, teasingly.

"Shut up, Booth," she shot back, walking through the automatic doors with her partner following.

"So did you have fun?" he asked, popping the trunk before filling it with the various different bags.

"Sure," she replied openly, "I never had so much fun shopping." Booth grinned, flushed with success.

"So are you a little closer to believing in Christmas?" he asked hopefully.

She smiled sweetly, coming closer to him as she lifted her head towards his. "Not at all," she said, smiling as she entered the passenger side.

Damn woman, how could she be such an angel and so frustrating at the same time? Whoever said that falling in love was easy was either stupid or high.

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**Next chapter, we have another non-date. So, what do you think will come next? What do you think I still have inside my Santa bag? You know the drill, review and it comes faster, because in this wet Christmas of mine, I can only dream about the romantic snow of DC, and you're the ones making my Merry Christmas!!!**


	8. Looney Booth

**A/N: So, this chapter was ready yesterday, but fanfic was experiencing some problems, so I only got it uploaded today. I hope you like this chapter since I had a lot of fun writing it!!! Just another little note: I'm still trying to make time to reply to all the reviews, so hang in there because I will, eventually!!! Also, it broke my heart to hear that DC doesn't have snow!!! So I chose to ignore that, and for the purpose of the fic, it snows there!!! **

**A HUGE thanks to bertie456 for making the time to revise my stuff!!! You seriously rock!!!**

**Also, a HUGE thanks to goldpiece for her suggestions and for her help!!! The next chapter will come a lot easier because of you!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

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**Thirteen days to Christmas**

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Okay, where am I? 

That was the first thought that came into Temperance Brennan's mind as she slowly opened her eyes. When she lifted her head from the pillow, her nose registered the smell of something familiar, a strong masculine scent, something… Booth!

Her eyes grew wide as she made the connection between the fragrance and her partner, and she did a double take at the room she was currently in, releasing that she was on Seeley Booth's bed.

Panicked, she quickly kicked the covers down, relief washing over her as she saw the over-sized Bugs Bunny pajamas she had on. But where did they come from? Slipping her legs off the bed, she stifled a laugh at the furry Bugs Bunny slippers by the bed. Slipping her feet inside, she wobbled a little as she stood up, forcing her mind to settle down as she fought the minor dizzy spell.

Squinting against the bright sun light coming through the curtains, she made her way out of the room and into the hall. When she entered the kitchen, a sound from the lounge called her attention as she poured herself a glass of water.

Glass in hand, she slowly trudged over to the source of the sound, smirking at the sight of her partner sprawled over the couch, laughing at the TV. As her eyes traveled to the TV, she was even more amused to see Wile E. Coyote holding up his ever useless "Help" sign before plummeting to earth. Road Runner watched everything, letting out only a comment of 'beep beep' before disappearing and leaving a small trail of smoke in his wake.

"Cartoons, Booth?" she asked, and he jumped, startled, before turning to her.

"Hey, look who's awake! I was beginning to worry," he said, standing up as he crossed the room towards her. She was aware of his lack of shirt, and the fact that his muscular torso was now exposed and looking temptingly touchable. His proximity combined with the masculine scent she recognized from his bed sent shivers up her spine, but she ignored it, having more pressing matters to attend to.

"Booth, how is it that I woke up in your bed?" she asked, watching the bunny ears on the slippers swaying as she moved her legs.

"You mean you don't remember?" he asked, coming closer to her as she nodded, fearfully. "Well, I'm disappointed to know that a night with me is so easy to forget."

Her eyes went wide with the implications of what he said. "Oh God… did we…" She couldn't even finish her sentence in fear of voicing it out loud.

His expression was serious for a minute before he broke into a large reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'm a gentleman, Bones, and I like my women conscious," he said, stepping away from her as he walked towards his bedroom.

She breathed a sigh of relief, thanking all the forces in the universe before frowning again. She heard a rustle of clothes and went to sit on the bed, watching Booth search through his closet.

"I only drank a few glasses of wine," she said, trying to understand the events of the night before.

Booth turned to her, pulling a shirt on over his head and covering his very distracting body from her. "I think it wasn't so much the wine as your exhaustion. You worked all day non-stop. You had a few glasses of wine and, before I knew, you were passed out on the couch," he said, watching as the tough anthropologist blushed.

"That must have been attractive," she mumbled, playing with her fingers awkwardly.

"Well," he began, bringing her attention to his face, "The passing out wasn't so bad. It was the snoring and the drooling that turned me off."

She stood up, her eyes wide with indignation. "I do not snore. Or drool."

"How would you know? You were unconscious," he replied, daring her to contradict him.

"No one has ever complained," she said smugly.

"Not to your face," he shot back, and she pursed her lips as she glared at him. If looks could kill… She sat again, stubbornly shaking her bunnied feet as he resumed his search for pants inside his closet.

"How did I get out of my own clothes and into these pajamas?" she asked suddenly.

"I loaned you the pajamas and slippers. Which you got changed into before you passed out, by the way," he said, opening a drawer as he chose a pair of bright green socks to match his shirt.

"I did?" she asked, racking her brain for any fragment that could help her piece together the story her partner was telling her. Being in control all the time, Brennan didn't like the feeling of memory loss one bit.

"Yes, you did, Bones. It was all you," he said reassuringly. She smiled in gratitude, finally feeling the ground beneath her feet become steadier.

"So, are you a big fan of Bugs Bunny, Booth?" she inquired, imagining a delicious looking Booth wearing the cartoon emblazoned pajamas. Or not wearing them, to be more precise.

"My mother seams to think so," he said, entering his bathroom to change into his jeans, and Brennan felt a small pang of annoyance when she heard the lock turning, preventing her from "accidentally" taking a peak.

When he came out of the bathroom, perfectly dressed in his shirt and jeans, he found Brennan searching his room for what he assumed was her clothes. Opening a drawer, he took a small neatly folded pile and handed it to her.

Stunned, she took the clothes and blushed, mouthing a thank you as she went inside the bathroom to change. When she came out, fresh and brushed, Booth was waiting on the couch, a small plastic bag between his feet.

"So, what are we doing today?" Brennan asked, sitting on the arm rest. "Assuming you haven't given up on charming me into Christmas."

"Not gonna give up that easily, Bones." She didn't know if it was the heavy coat or the smile he was giving her, but she was suddenly assaulted with warmth she wasn't familiar with. "Come and see," he said, reaching out to take her hand in his as he dragged her outside, carrying his mysterious bag on the other hand.

Expecting him to usher her inside his car, she frowned as he let go of her hand, standing outside his house with a grin. "What am I supposed to be doing?" she asked, confused, eyeing his driveway for any clues.

"Come on, Bones. You seriously don't know?" he asked, depositing the bag on the floor as he looked expectantly at her. Nothing came, and with a sigh, he explained, "We're building a snow man."

To demonstrate his point he spread his arms, indicating the snow surrounding them. She had to bite back a chuckle as she watched him, all worked up, as he removed a hat, a scarf, a carrot and a few lumps of coal from his bag.

"Why are we doing this again?" she inquired, walking to stand closer to him as he crouched in the snow.

"Because it's fun," he replied, his tone matching Parker's when asked why he liked to watch Sponge Bob. As he tugged her down with him, her knees reaching the snow with a bit of force as he grinned widely at her, she realized just how much he loved this holiday.

"You're just an overly developed child, aren't you?" she mused, her own hands now working on piling more snow closer as Booth molded a large snowy ball for the lower half of the snowman.

"This, Bones, was always one of my favorite things to do at Christmas as a child," he said, his eyes shining in that innocent way she had grown used to every time he talked about Parker. "My brother Jared and I used to each build a snowman and to compete to see who made the tallest one before it fell over."

"That's really sweet," Brennan said sincerely, carrying more snow across the lawn to where the snowman was starting to take shape.

"What about you?" he asked, noticing how her eyes glazed over slightly as she searched her presumably neatly folded childhood memories.

"I haven't done this in fifteen years," she said in amazement. If she was honest, in this particular Christmas, she'd done a lot of things she hadn't done since her parents left. "Russ and I used to build a snowman every Christmas on the first day of snow. I used to get so mad at him 'cause every time, he would get my clothes to put on it." She chuckled at her own memory, remembering the epic battles she used to have with her brother.

"That's a nice memory, Bones," Booth said, patting down the top of the body before standing up to admire his handiwork. "It's looking good."

"It looks exactly like every other snowman you see on the street. It doesn't even have a head yet," Brennan shot at him, not even flinching as he glared at her.

"You're not following the basic principles, Bones. It's the work that matters, the thought you put into building your snowman," he said, explaining the process to a highly amused Brennan. "Besides, it's not an 'it', it's a 'he'."

"Oh," she said, laughing as she helped him prepared 'his' head. "So what's his name?"

"Frosty," Booth said, satisfied with the size of Frosty's spherical head.

"He doesn't look like a Frosty," said Brennan, helping Booth as he smoothed the ball of snow before picking it up and placing it over the 'shoulders'.

"What do you mean he doesn't look like a Frosty? He's a snowman made of snow. He's frosted, frozen," he said, furrowing his brow as he adjusted the head.

"But he doesn't look like a Frosty," Brennan said stubbornly as she dressed the snowman in the red and blue scarf.

"So what does he look like?" asked Booth, stabbing poor Frosty's head with the carrot to create a nose. Brennan tugged her white gloves off before picking up a few small lumps of coal and creating a smiling mouth.

"Mike," she said suddenly as she placed two more pieces of coal as the eyes.

Booth looked at her for a minute, disbelief clearly displayed on his features as he repeated, "Mike?"

"Yep," she said, adjusting the blue hat over the head as Booth picked up a few skinny branches under a tree beside his garage, "Mike," she confirmed, placing one of the branches offered by Booth in Mike's side as his arm.

"You can't name a snowman Mike," he said, standing back to admire their now complete work.

"Who says I can't? I just did," she said smugly as she stood by his side, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Mike, the snowman," Booth proclaimed, wrinkling his nose at the sound of it. "It doesn't work."

"Yes, it does," she said. "Mike, the man of snow." Booth laughed, shaking his head as he looked at her, cheeks flushed and breath rapid from the small amount of snowman-building exercise. "So, why did we do this again?" she asked, inserting her hands back in her gloves for warmth.

"Remember when Wyatt told you a certain amount of purposelessness is necessary to live a full life?" he asked, and she nodded, not knowing where he was going with his statement. "This, my way-too-logical friend, is the purposeless side of life."

"Purposelessness, huh?" she asked, a sly smile on her face as he walked in front of her. He should have seen it coming since provoking her and turning his back was never a good idea. But he only processed her actions as he first felt the snow collide with his head, droplets of ice-cold water trickling down his neck, inside his shirt.

"Oh, you didn't," he said, whipping the remains of snow off his hair as he turned to see an innocent looking Brennan staring back at him, her hands behind her back.

"What?" she asked sweetly. He didn't say anything, just crouched down and began to make his own snowball. When it was ready, he lifted his hand to strike her, but only received more snow in his face. She laughed loudly, her hands working on more ammunition.

"Oh, it's war," he threatened, gathering a big ball as he took cover behind a frozen bush. She had no time to hide before the snow struck her on her lower back and she yelped at the contact. He laughed now, watching her intently as he worked on another ball of snow. "Give up, Bones?" he called, watching as her head peeked from behind the tree she'd hidden herself behind.

"A Brennan would never give up," she said, laughing between the words as she flung a snowball in his direction, missing him by an inch.

"Neither would a Booth," he replied, throwing the snowball her way. He too missed, hitting the tree as she hid herself again. As soon as the ball exploded against the tree, Brennan stuck her head out again as she threw another snowball his way, hitting him on the arm.

"You better give up, Booth," she said, crouching down as she piled snow beside her.

"Not gonna happen, Bones," he yelled and as she went to check if the coast was clear, Booth hit her square on the chest with a snowball. She growled, hiding behind the tree again as she brushed the snow from her coat. A few seconds passed while neither made any movements, and Brennan was the first to break the silence.

"Booth?" she called, not moving an inch from her safe spot.

"Yeah?" he answered back, also securely hidden behind the bush.

"I'm hungry," she said, feeling her stomach rumbling.

"Me too," he said, rubbing his empty stomach. "How about a truce?"

She thought about for a moment, deciding that a truce was probably a good idea. Since they were partners, a truce would give them an equal result as neither was willing to back down."Okay," she called out, peering out from behind the tree as Booth slowly stood up. She walked very slowly, aware of every little movement he made, guarding herself against any sudden attack.

"Let's get breakfast, Bones," he said, placing both his hands on her shoulders as he ushered her down the street. "I would have won, by the way."

"No, you wouldn't," she said, stopping dead in her tracks as she turned to face him.

"Yes, I would," he said smugly, moving daringly close to her.

Rolling her eyes, she gave him a playful shove, but underestimated her strength. Booth tumbled into the snow, and dragged her down with him, limbs flailing in protest.

Like in the ice rink, they both landed over each other, but this time Booth was on top, just as he liked to be. His face hovering over hers, Booth was aware of her sweet, warm breath against his as his eyes traveled down to her oh-so-close lips. It would be so easy to close that distance now…

"Booth," she said softly and his eyes shot up to meet hers.

"Yeah, Bones," he replied, aware that with every breath she took, her breasts grazed his chest.

"I'm freezing here," she said, and he was embarrassed for forgetting that she was the one lying in the snow.

"Right… Let's get out of here before we freeze our butts off. I, for one, like mine as it is," he said, easing himself off her as he stretched a hand down to help her.

_Me too_, she thought as she watched his perfectly shaped behind moving as he led her down the street. "Where are we going?" she inquired, curiously.

"Just trust me," he said, guiding her a little further. Just two blocks away from his house, they both stopped as they reached a small dark coffee house secretly tucked between a post-office and a pharmacy.

With a hand on the small of her back, Booth ushered her into the very welcoming atmosphere of the establishment. The small cafe was dimly lit, with the dark wooden paneling giving off no light and a variety of mismatched lamps scattered throughout. The walls were painted a dark green color, and sprigs of holly and mistletoe added a festive air to the cozy shop.

As they approached a counter, the couple was greeted by an older woman, with thick glasses perched on her nose and her white hair up in a bun. "Hello, my dears. My name is Rosie," she greeted them, a warm smile on her lips. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I actually wanted some hot chocolate and some chocolate brownies," Booth requested, looking at Brennan for confirmation. She nodded, still taking in every rich detail of the place.

"Would you like to sit beside the fireplace? You two look like you need the warmth," Rosie asked, jotting their order on her small pink pad. Booth nodded, eager to get warmed up since his skin still felt cold from the ice from their brief snow fight. Rosie came out from behind the counter, signaling for them to follow her as she walked further inside the coffee shop.

Ushering them forward, Rosie pointed to the old, leather two-seater sofa for them to sit on, which was placed crookedly in front of the crackling fire with a small wooden coffee table beside it. "Go ahead and settle yourselves down, dears, and I'll be right back with your order."

Smiling in gratitude, Booth watched as Rosie turned her back to them. Brennan stood in front of the fire, her eyes shining brightly as she studied the flames dancing over the wood. Booth sat himself on one side of the couch as he watched the golden glow playing over Brennan's pale skin, her eyes with an impossibly bright spark.

Rosie came back almost instantaneously, carrying the tray bearing their hot cocoa and rich chocolate brownies. Booth smiled in appreciation, calling Brennan over to sit beside him as Rosie left. The scientist sat on the opposite side of the couch, leaning against the arm rest.

"Bones," Booth said, reaching out a hand temptingly.

"Yes?" she answered, taking out the cup of hot chocolate from the tray and blowing on it, cooling it for her to drink.

"Come closer," he asked.

She was minded to shrug him off, making a sarcastic comment to cover the mild confusion and the strange bubbling feeling inside her now. But as she looked into his eyes, warm and kind as they were illuminated by the light from the fire, she could do nothing other than oblige.

Slowly, she moved herself closer to him, and he reached out an arm to accommodate her. She leaned against his chest, aware that this wasn't partnerlike behavior, but enjoying the comfort of the warmth radiating from him. She shrugged off all her negative thoughts, and securely placed her head in the crook of his neck, enjoying his warm breath against her skin. He brought a hand up, lovingly stroking her hair as watched her, eyes closed, lips parted as she continued to blow on her coco.

"What do I have to do to make you believe?" he asked, his voice low and husky as he tried hard not to break the spell between them.

She just looked up, her blue eyes meeting his as they both refused to look away. "I don't know," she said in all honesty, wishing there was an easy answer, an easy way to help him get through all her walls.

He knew it was hard for her to say, but the small admission was enough to get him going. To make him try harder to help her see the good in life. And so for the moment he resigned himself to warming her with his hug, stroking her hair in the small coffee house while whispering an old Christmas carol in her ear as they watched the fire flickering in front of their eyes.

"Frosty the snowman knew the sun was hot that day, so he said, 'Let's run, and we'll have some fun now before I melt away'."

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**I know the end was a bit closer than the friends would have been, but I felt it was time to give them a moment together like that, just like in the rink. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you review!!! Also, if you have any suggestions or ideas, let me know, because I love to know what you expect to read in this fic for the next chapters!!! I also hope everyone is having a fantastic Christmas!!!**


	9. The Wisdom Of A Ladybug

**A/N: This is the first part of the chapter since it was cut in two to work better. The other half is being spellchecked as I post this, so if I get some good response for this, I'll post it sooner (I know, I'm shameless!!!) Also, since I'm currently studying for a big test, my writing time has decreased. I was up all night writing this, so, show me some love!!! And since I posted another chapter yesterday, please don't forget to review that one too if you haven't!!!**

**Thanks, as always, to bertie for being so good to me and revising the work!!! Also, since she's English and I'm Brazilian, we don't know how much a tree coasts, so if it's wrong, let me know so I can fix it.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

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_**Twelve days to Christmas**_

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"That was really low, you know?" said Brennan as she took in every little detail of their current location: Homestead Farm, located on Sugarland Road, where you could 'Cut-your-own Christmas tree'.

"What was low?" asked Booth with fake innocence as he ushered her forward with a hand on her back.

"You know, getting Parker to pout when I said I had work to do, which I still do by the way," she said as she watched the little boy's golden locks bouncing as he ran. "Should he be running in front of us? Isn't that dangerous?" she asked, looking at Booth for reassurance.

"Relax, Bones, he knows the place," he said, laughing as Parker began to bounce up and down as he looked at the various pre-cut trees lined crookedly over the farm. Booth had started to buy the pre-cut trees after a little incident with an axe had earned him a small scar over his right thumb.

Parker ran back to them, standing behind his father and pushing him to walk faster, "Come on, Daddy, or everyone will buy all the trees and we won't have one."

"Calm down, kiddo; there are loads of trees for us to choose," Booth said, looking at his son over his shoulders.

"You haven't answered my question," Brennan said, taking her white gloves off since, for the first time in days, the sun was warming her cold fingertips.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Booth said, crossing his fingers behind his back.

"Daddy, why are you crossing your fingers behind your back?" Parker asked, curiously. A frown formed on his face as Brennan began to laugh hard.

"Yes, Booth, why are you crossing your fingers? Are you lying?" she asked, pretending to be mortified as he glared at her.

"I had an itch," he said, reaching behind him as he picked his boy up. "You know it's very bad to lie, right bub?"

"Yep, because if we lie, our noses grow like Pinocchio's," the little boy said matter-of-factly, and Booth glared at Brennan when he saw her opening her mouth. In his eyes she could see his 'not-the-time-for-an-anthropological-lecture' look, so she refrained from making any comments. She was getting really good at reading him.

"That's right, bub. A good boy always tells the truth," Booth said to his son as he put the boy down. "Now remember, try and choose a tree that won't cost your daddy his whole paycheck, 'kay?" The boy nodded, eagerly running towards back to the trees as the adults followed at a slower pace.

"So, are you getting a Christmas tree?" Booth asked, his gaze fixed on the dense 'forest' the trees created and his eyes wide and alert as he kept track of the little boy ahead of them.

"You know I don't celebrate Christmas," she said, admiring a tall pine beside her as the lower branches brushed against her covered legs. "Did you know that the Christmas tree is often explained as a Christianization of pagan tradition and ritual surrounding the Winter Solstice, which included the use of evergreen boughs, and an adaptation of pagan tree worship?"

"Really?" asked Booth in a deep sarcastic tone complete with an eyeroll.

Brennan was either oblivious to his disinterest or she didn't care as she continued her lecture, now fully in anthropologist-mode. "The English language phrase "Christmas tree" was first recorded in 1835 and it represents an importation from the German language. The modern Christmas tree tradition is believed to have begun in Germany in the 18th century though many argue that Martin Luther began the tradition in-" She was cut off by Booth's hand over her mouth.

"Can you please refrain from squint-speak for one day?" he asked, hopefully as she glared at him, contemplating biting his hand. She tried to answer, but her words came out muffled as through the hand still covering her mouth.

"Sorry," he said, retracting his hand as he smiled, embarrassed.

"Do that again and you're a dead man," she warned playfully, but he had no doubt that she was serious.

Before he could say anything else, he felt a light tug on his coat sleeve, and as he looked down, he saw his son's brown eyes staring back at him. "What's up, bub?" Booth asked, watching as Brennan walked further ahead, squinting against the sun as she observed the different pine trees. Booth directed his attention back to his son, and realized the little boy was looking intently at the little ladybug which was crawling over Booth's leather jacket.

"Look, daddy, a ladybug," Parker said, tugging on the sleeve so Booth lowered himself down to let his son satisfy his curiosity. "Daddy, did you know that when a ladybug lands on you, the next person it lands on is your soul mate?" Parker said in a very serious tone.

"Is that so?" Booth mused, grinning as his son nodded. "Mrs. Garner told me that ladybugs are very smart, and Mrs. Garner knows everything," Parker said, poking the small insect until it took flight. The little boy watched expectantly as the ladybug flew high, tugging on his father's arm and grinning when the ladybug landed. On Brennan's back.

"Is Bones your soul mate, daddy?" the boy asked, his eyes searching his daddy's for an answer that Booth didn't have. Racking his brain for the right answer, he watched as Brennan turned, a smile on her face when she saw father and son speaking conspiratorially.

"Maybe, bub," he said, ruffling the boy's blond curls, "But that's our little secret, okay?" Parker nodded, pretending to lock his mouth before throwing the "key" away over his shoulders.

"What are you two so secretive about?" asked Brennan as Booth stood up from the ground, winking discreetly to his son as the little boy giggled. Brennan looked from father to son before raising an eyebrow, hands firmly on hips as she silently demanded an explanation.

Not yet old enough to understand women's subtle body language, Parker just took her hand in his as he pulled her further ahead. "Come on, Bones, help me pick a tree," he said, excitedly, like a mini-replica of his father.

"Okay," she said, watching as he stopped in front of a very tall pine tree.

"Daddy," Parker called, and Booth just eyed the tree before turning his back. "Smaller, Parks. We need a tree that won't scrape the ceiling." The boy pouted a little, but realized it wouldn't work with his dad looking away, so he just directed his attention to next tree on the road.

And as Parker inspected the tree, Booth inspected his partner.

With her hair down and a smile on her face, she looked a lot younger than she did in her serious all-business suits, hiding the kind and loving woman she was behind a respectful title and a steely reputation.

While she walked, a peek-a-boo game ensued as he followed her through the trees. With Parker securely by her side as he babbled about pine trees and worms, Booth found a new side of this woman he was becoming closer and closer to everyday, triggered by the simple freedom of talking to someone as uncorrupted as his son.

Coming closer to them, he smiled as he heard his partner's patented teaching tone. "Parker, did you know that a pine tree like this one can take as long as fifteen years to get to this height?"

The boy's eyes shone in wonder. "Wow, that's more than me," he said, looking all the way up the beautiful pine tree.

"Yes, it is Parker," said Brennan, unconsciously placing her hands over Parker's shoulder as the little boy stood before her with his back turned.

"I like this tree. Bones, can we buy it?" Parker asked, looking up at her with that impossibly adorable look that reminded her so much of her partner, the same look that had taken her away from a fascinating Egyptian mummy that very morning.

As she looked over the pine tree, she knew it would be expensive. About eight feet tall, it had dark green foliage and stiff branches, which she knew were considered well suited for decorating with both light and heavy ornaments, and as she knew her partner well, there would a lot of decorating involved.

Seeing a man walking past her wearing a green shirt that read 'Homestead Farm' in bright red letters, and noting that her partner was still a fair distance away, she called out to him. "Excuse me, sir?" The man stopped walking, turning to her as he smiled down at the child who was currently taking shelter behind her legs, but peeking out occasionally.

"How can I help you folks?"

"I would like to know how much this tree costs," Brennan said, pointing to their chosen pine. The man's eyes roamed over the tree, before giving Brennan a kind smile.

"This one took me nine years to get to this size," he said scratching his chin as he eyed the tree. "Just for you I sell it for $120." For Brennan it wasn't much, but she knew that tree fell under the "Daddy's whole paycheck" warning Booth gave his son before. Not liking the prospect of the little boy's face breaking into a disappointed frown, Brennan decided to take a little sneaky action.

"Parker, go call your daddy, okay?" she said, ushering the boy towards Booth senior. The little boy nodded, taking small steps as he looked back at her, smiling. When she was sure the boy was out of earshot, she turned back to the man. "Can I make a deal with you?" she asked, and the man raised an eyebrow as he continued to scratch his chin.

"What kind of deal?" he asked, curiously.

"I'll give you $70, and when the boy's father asks, you tell him it only costs $50." He eyed her again, dropping his hand.

"You'll pay for the rest?" She nodded, watching as Parker pulled his father by the hand while they walked towards where she stood.

"I just need you to tell him that price and I'll worry about the rest. Please." The older man nodded, smiling as the Booths joined them.

"Daddy, can we buy this tree?" Parker asked, bouncing up and down as he waited for his father's answer.

"How much for it?" Booth asked the man, mentally preparing for the wince he would feel at the surely overpriced tree. "Just $50," said the man, and Booth frowned.

"That's all?" he asked, suspicious.

"Holiday sale," said the man, shrugging. Booth wasn't buying it, but when he looked over at Brennan, she was looking just as innocent as she always did.

"Don't look at me, you know I don't know anything about Christmas tree-shopping," she said, raising her hands up in surrender. Eyeing them both again, Booth shrugged it off as his own imagination working overtime since he thought Brennan was incapable of telling a convincing lie.

"Okay," Booth said, looking at his expectant son, "We'll take it."

"Cool," exclaimed Parker, bouncing in front of his father and Brennan who were both highly amused by his enthusiasm.

"So I'm gonna go pay, and we'll head back to town," Booth said, but stopped as Brennan put a hand on his arm.

"Just give me the money and I'll pay while you… uh… handle transport," she said, knowing full well that Booth's inbuilt lie detector would catch any slip.

But she apparently passed the test as he reached inside the wallet and handed her the bills. "I'll just get this puppy in the truck then," Booth said, eyeing the tall pine tree.

Brennan frowned as she squinted against the sun, "Booth, it's a tree, not a young dog," she said, earning a laugh from her partner.

"Just go pay," he said as he turned his back to her, holding Parker in his arms as he spun the little boy in circles.

Brennan turned too, thinking about the very small indentation in her bank account. But as she looked back at the smiling father rand son, she had no doubt.

They were so worth it.

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**So the next part in currently ready to go, but I would love to know what you think about this first half before I post the other one so I can change anything if necessary. So leave me a pretty and shiny review and I'll get the next chapter up!!! Who's up for some tree decorating???**


	10. The Sing Along

**A/N: Okay, so now that this chapter is brightly revised and arranged, I'm posting it. Also, since I'm Brazilian, I'm trying really hard to find all the information on the web, but I might get something wrong, so please don't be mad, it's hard finding this kind of thing. Also, my traditions are quite different from the US traditiond, so there are some things that I have never heard of.**

**Again, a shout to bertie for being an angel, so understanding!!! And a big big thanks to goldpiece for suggesting some of the things I included in this chapter!!! Your ideas were really great!!! So keep them coming!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

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Twelve days to Christmas... later that day..._**

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Getting the tree inside the truck Booth borrowed from his uncle George was relatively easy since some of the workers helped, and the short trip back home was pleasant as Brennan and Parker talked animatedly, the child bombarding her with questions about a variety of subjects. 

Whoever thought that getting the eight-foot Scotch pine inside the house would be a piece of cake was wrong. Very wrong. Brennan held the pine near the top and Booth had a death-grip on its base, both of them panting as they crossed Booth's driveway.

"Booth, if you drop this tree on me, I swear I'll shoot you," she said, her hands sore from the friction of the needles digging into her palm.

"Don't worry, Bones. Let's just concentrate on getting this tree inside," he said, nodding his head to the side as he directed her, since her back was turned to the door. Parker watched from the lawn, his amused giggles carrying across the street.

When Brennan first succeeded on getting herself across the threshold, she sighed in relief. Until she realized that the lower part of the tree was wider than the doorway. "Great," muttered Booth as he pushed the tree harder. It didn't go in, so he pushed harder and harder.

But he miscalculated his strength and pushed too hard, causing the tree to shoot through the door and knock an unsuspecting Brennan flat on her ass. The sound of something breaking carried through the living room.

Booth's eyes went wide as he placed the base of the pine tree on the floor, crossing the room towards his partner in seconds. "Bones, I'm so sorry, are you okay? Are you hurt? What's broken?" he asked hurriedly, his hands roaming her body as he looked for injuries.

She smiled, stilling his hands with hers. "I'm fine, Booth, I just landed on something." She reached behind herself and brought a red Christmas ornament in her hand. Booth breathed a sigh of relief, standing up and pulling Brennan with him, Parker's giggles once again filling the room.

"Okay, so… let's get this thing up," Booth said, taking the tree in his hands while Brennan pushed hard with him. After a lot of panting from Booth and a few suggestive moans from Brennan, the tree was standing tall and proud on his leaving room floor.

"Decorations!" exclaimed Parker, kneeling on the floor as he searched through the many boxes, scattering the different Christmas ornaments over the floor.

Booth laughed, taking one more glance at his son as he turned towards the kitchen, Brennan one step behind him. "He's great, Booth," she said, watching as he crossed the kitchen to take two large bowls in his hands.

"He is, isn't he? He has so much of his mother," Booth said, and her eyes were impossibly soft as she gazed at him.

"I see a lot of you in him," she said, earning a big grin from him as he walked towards her.

"You think so?" he asked, knowing that she would never be less then honest with him.

"Yes," she whispered gently. His eyes thanked her, trying to convey just how much that meant to him. A noise from the living room demanded his attention, and he reluctantly broke away from Brennan to see what Parker was up too.

"Hey, bub, what are you doing?" he asked, watching as his son now had every single ornament out of its box.

"I'm ready, daddy. Put on the songs," he said, swaying his arms to make his point.

Brennan smiled as she watched them, taking the bowls from Booth's outstretched hands before he walked towards the radio. She walked over to the couch, frowning as her eyes fell over the contents of the bowls: popcorn and cranberries. Just as she was about to call Booth, the stereo came to life and the first lines of Jingle Bell Rock began to play.

_Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock  
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring  
Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun  
Now the jingle hop has begun._

She laughed as Booth and Parker sang along, the little boy up and dancing awkwardly out of synch with the beat while Booth mouthed the words as he walked back to her.

"What am I supposed to do with this, Booth?" she asked loudly to get through to him over the music and Parker's off key singing.

"You've never done this before?" he asked, taking something she couldn't see from his pocket as he placed the bowls by her side on the couch.

"Not really. What is 'this' that I haven't done before?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously as she tried to figure out what she was supposed to be doing. Eating?

"You have to string them up, you know, like Christmas lights?" he said, giving her the object he was holding. Only then she realized it was a roll of dark green string and a needle. "Do you want me to do it?" he asked.

"No," she replied quickly, touched that he was sharing one of his traditions with her, "I can do it. So… is there specific order in which I have to string them?"

"No, just do it the way you like best," he said, with a grin before walking towards his son and joining in with the singing.

_Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock  
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time  
Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square  
In the frosty air._

Both Parker and Booth were enthusiastically singing as Brennan first began her DIY Christmas ornament. Adjusting the string through the needle, she eyed a cranberry severely before stabbing it with the needle, a satisfied smirk on her lips as she pushed it over the string. _Not so tough now, huh?_

As she continued to stab alternate popcorns and cranberries, her lips were moving along with the song as she watched Parker dancing while placing the ornaments over the needles of the pine tree, laughing as his dad tickled him when they both tried to put a bauble on the same branch.

_What a bright time, it's the right time  
To rock the night away  
Jingle bell time is a swell time  
To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh  
Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet  
Jingle around the clock_

Brennan pierced her finger a couple of times when she got distracted by Booth and his son, and she sucked gently on the small wound, smiling as they were both now singing in a over the top, theatrical manner as the song reached its end.

_Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet  
That's the jingle bell,  
That's the jingle bell,  
That's the jingle bell rock. _

She laughed, forgetting about the little sting on her fingertip as the CD changed tracks and began playing Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. Parker, who was concentrating again on the ornaments happily bounced up and down as Booth sang loudly to one of their favorite songs.

_You know Dasher and Dancer  
And Prancer and Vixen,  
Comet and Cupid  
And Donder and Blitzen.  
But do you recall  
The most famous reindeer of all? _

Both sang off key, putting on the ornaments as Brennan watched, amazed with the similarities of their actions as they both danced while singing louder then the CD itself.

"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer," Booth sang.

"Reindeer," completed Parker, jumping up and down.

"Had a very shiny nose," his father sang again.

"Like a light bulb," Parker pitched in, giggling as he danced.

Brennan couldn't help but laugh fondly as Booth looked over at her, grinning with happiness. This was a very special moment, as even she could see, and he was sharing it with her.

"And if you ever saw it," Booth sang, placing a tiny bear wit a Santa hat over one branch.

"Saw it," sang Parker, jumping towards Brennan as she laughed loudly when he pulled her to sway with him.

"You would even say it glows," sang Booth as he reached a hand out to Brennan.

"Like a flashlight," sang both Parker and Brennan as Booth picked Parker up, swaying the boy as he held Brennan closer, wanting her to be and feel like a part of this. His Christmas.

"All of the other reindeer..."

"Reindeer!"

"Used to laugh and call him names," sang Brennan, this time along with the music.

"Like Pinocchio," contributed Parker, opening his arms for Brennan to hold him.

"They never let poor Rudolph," sang Booth, watching Brennan balance his son on her hip as she danced with him, and all kinds of feelings took over him.

"Rudolph!"

"Join in any reindeer games," Brennan sang along, taking Parker's hand in hers as the boy laughed loudly, a delightful sound to her ears.

"Like Monopoly," he called, giggling as his father tickled his sides.

"Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say," they all sang loudly, each on a different key.

"Ho ho ho..." Booth added in his best Santa voice.

"Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleight tonight?"

"Then all the reindeer loved him," sang Booth, ticking Brennan this time.

"Loved him," she sang, laughing as she walked out of his fingers' range.

"And they shouted out with glee," sang Booth, taking his son from her arms.

"Yippee!" Parker yelled, clambering on the couch.

"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer," sang the adults and the child added again.

"Reindeer!"

"You'll go down in history!" sang Booth, taking Brennan's hand as he pulled her closer, dancing with him.

"Like Columbus," finished Parker, dropping himself on the floor as the last notes played. "Let's do it again," he asked, not minding the fact that even he was exhausted.

Brennan just shook her head with a smile, extracting herself from Booth as she perched herself on the couch to finish her 'work'. As the more calm lyrics of White Christmas began to play, Booth and Parker managed to finish their decorating before both looking at Brennan expectantly.

"Where are the lights?" she asked, frowning.

With a smile, Booth took a bag from the side of the couch. "I bought new ones today, since this morning I was detangling the old ones and someone tried to help," he said, looking down at his son with a playful mad expression.

"But isn't that a good thing, that he helped?"

"Oh, he helped, alright… With a pair of his scissors."

Brennan laughed at that, accompanied by both Booths and she stood up. "Alright then," she said, lifting her 'art' off the couch as she eyed it analytically.

"Let's get your crafty handiwork on the tree, Bones," Booth said, taking the string up as he and Parker rounded the tree with it before finishing the decorations with the lights. When all that was left was the family angel, Booth lifted his son onto his shoulders. With his small fingers, Parker placed the angel in the top, proud of his own work as his father lowered him back to the floor.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Brennan, dropping herself on the couch.

"We watch the lights," said Parker as he ran out of the room.

Seizing the opportunity, Booth reached beside the couch and took a red wrapped box, placing it on Brennan's lap. "For you," he said, and she was wide eyed as she looked at him.

"It's not Christmas yet," she said, confused with his early present.

"It's not your Christmas present; it's just something I wanted you to have," he said, slightly shy as he was sure his cheeks were pink.

She smiled, taking the wrapped paper off slowly as she lifted the lid. Inside, there was a collection of small angels, all made of delicate crystal. "Booth…" she whispered, not sure of what else to say, overwhelmed by his gift.

He took her hand in his, squeezing it as he looked at her. "Just in case you decide to get a tree," he said, letting go of her hand when Parker reappeared, carrying his large yellow Sponge Bob blanket.

Brennan brushed away the small tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes, smiling as Parker turned on the tree lights and turned off those in the living room. Sitting on the couch, the little boy snuggled against Brennan's side, draping his blanket over the both of them to keep her warm as well. Booth smiled, sitting beside his son and pulling him closer, draping the big blanket over himself as well.

In the relative darkness, Booth could see all the different emotions playing over his partner's features as her face glowed red, yellow, green and blue with the tree lights. Trying to reassure her, he reached a hand over the top of the couch, seeking hers. Seeing the emotions on his softly lit face, she reached out and laced her fingers in his.

The quiet tune of Silent Night played on the stereo, but they weren't listening. As they sat there, warm and safe with Parker securely snuggled between them, they had only each other in mind, the warmth of their hands reminding them that no matter what they were never alone. Not anymore.

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**Many people suggested caroling, so there it was, and I hope it was good for you!!! So, what other activities can BB still do until Christmas? Any ideas, let me know!!! The clock is ticking and the big finale is coming!!! And, as always, don't forget to leave a review!!!**


	11. The Shapes Of A Heart

**A/N: So here is the new chapter, with something a lot of you requested. I was really really happy with all the suggestion made on the reviews, and I'm trying to use some of them. If I don't use some of the ideas, it's because I won't have time since there is only a week before Christmas and I'm trying to get this fic done by then. So, thank you soooo much to everyone who left an idea, they were really appreciated!!!**

**Thank you bertie for watching over my fic like a little spellcheck angel!!! Also, thanks to everyone who suggested the idea I used for this chapter!!! I will personally (sort of) thank you later this week when I find the time!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

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_**Eight days to Christmas**_

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"Just a second!" Booth yelled as he heard a knock on his front door. 

Buttoning his shirt all the way up, he hurried out of his room as the insistent knocking continued. Parker giggled when his father tripped over his T-Rex forgotten on the floor, almost falling to the floor as he lost his balance.

Taking a second to playfully glare at his son while the little boy continue to laugh from his spot on the couch, Booth hurried once again to the door. When the door swung open, Booth was greeted by the sight of two large paper bags.

"Bones?" he called out hopefully, trying to get a glimpse of the person behind the groceries.

"Will you help me or are you just going to stand there?" came a voice from behind the packages.

He had the decency to look embarrassed before taking one of the large bags from her arms, her smiling face greeting him as she entered his house.

"Hey, Parker," she greeted the little boy as he diverted his attention briefly from his cartoon.

"Hey, Bones," he replied, getting up from the couch and accompanying the adults into the kitchen.

"Are you moving in with me Bones?" Booth joked as he placed the heavy grocery bag on the table. She didn't answer, just nudged him in the ribs before placing her bag next to the other.

"Remember when I asked you to let me do something for you and Parker today?" At his nod, she continued, "Well, I had to bring all this stuff to show you."

"Okay… so… what are we doing?" he asked, eyeing her bags suspiciously as she grinned. "Well, since you shared some of your Christmas traditions, I thought I could show you one of mine from when I was a child." So saying, she started to take some of her things from the bags while Booth tried to join the dots.

"You're cooking?" he asked, amazed. She smiled, standing next to Parker as the child sat on a tall chair. She ruffled his blond hair, getting a giggle from the little boy.

"We're baking Christmas gingerbread men," she said, and Parker's eyes lit up.

"Gingerbread!" he exclaimed, standing up on his chair as he watched her, wide eyed. "Can I help, Bones?"

"Of course," she said, lifting him off the chair and placing him on the ground.

"Go change into some old T-shirt, bub," said Booth as eyed the brand new clothes he was wearing. Rebecca would kill him if the boy ruined it.

As Parker ran out, Brennan took a step towards Booth. "I hope you don't mind, or think I'm intruding, it's just you've been doing all these things for me, and I wanted to thank you, but if you want I can just leave, it's okay really, I know you don't get to see him a lot so-"

She stopped as Booth placed a finger over her mouth, just like he had done on the tree farm. "Bones, you're rambling," he said, smiling at her as she blushed. "You're not intruding, and I'm honored that you're willing to share something from your own Christmas with us."

His sincere smile and steady voice comforted her, and all she could do was smile back as Parker ran back into the kitchen. Brennan laughed as she realized he was wearing an old Bugs Bunny T-shirt.

"Is the whole family a fan?" she asked, amused as Booth looked over to his son.

"My mom," he simply said while crossing the kitchen towards the cabinets. Opening one of the doors, he pulled something from inside and handed it to Brennan, who just looked confused. "You'll need it."

Still not quite understanding, she just took it and smiled when she realized what it was. "Kiss the cook?" she asked as she adjusted the black apron over her clothes.

"Don't ask," he said, sitting himself on one of his chairs.

"Can you pre-heat the oven for me?" she asked Booth, standing at the table.

Parker tugged on her hand, bringing Brennan's attention to him. "What are we making, Bones?" he asked, climbing on one of the chair to reach the table. She smiled, taking a big container from the brown paper bag and placing it in front of Parker.

"I made the dough last night, so all we have to do is cut," she said, reaching inside the bag to retrieve something else. "What do you prefer, gingerbread houses or men?" she asked the little boy, holding up the cookie cutters for Parker to inspect.

"Both," he said, and Brennan just laughed as she handed him the cutters. Booth smiled as he turned the oven on, placing the rack in the center.

"Okay, so I'll open the dough and you'll cut the cookies. Can you do that for me?" she asked, having read in a book how kids enjoyed when adults trusted them with something that required 'responsibility'.

"Yep," he answered proudly, and she winked at Booth while taking the plastic wrapped dough from the container. Taking the flour from inside the bag she sprinkled some of it over the counter, before taking the dough and dropping it in the flour. With a rolling pin, she began to prepare the dough.

"So, Bones, when did you become so domestic?" Booth teased, laughing when she directed a death-glare towards him. But it lost effect as he registered the flour caked on her cheek. "Bones, you've got some…" he trailed off, motioning to his own cheeks.

"Just shut up, Booth," she said, and he ignored her as he reached to clean it up for her. "Touch me and I'll bite you," she said playfully and he recoiled. Parker laughed at his fearful father, eagerly waiting for his turn to play.

When she was satisfied with her work, she turned to the little boy, holding out a hand for him to come closer, "Okay, Parker, so while you cut the gingerbread I'll make the frosting, okay?"

The boy nodded, his eyes fixed on the rolled dough as he first placed the house cookie cutter over it, putting his full weight over it as his father laughed at his serious expression when he lifted the cutter to inspect his work.

"Can you help me?" asked Brennan as she placed all the ingredients for her frosting in front of her.

"Sure, what can I do?" he asked, rubbing his hands together.

"You can tell me where your electric mixer is," she said, laughing at his Parker-like manner, eagerly waiting to help. He smiled, opening a cupboard and taking the mixer over to her. She smiled in return, accepting it as she pointed to his chair. "Now you can sit down and let me and Parker do all the work".

He obeyed, watching as she mixed the ingredients together, murmuring something that he recognized as a song. Listening harder, he could just about make out the faint sound of her voice while she sang, her eyes concentrated on the electric mixer, and was surprised to note that she was singing a carol.

Leaning back in the chair as she turned the mixer on, he smiled while watching his son, who was still busy cutting the houses and gingerbread men. The boy had a concentration that reminded him of Brennan while she was way-too-busy-for-him while staring at a fascinating ancient skeleton.

When she turned the mixer off, Booth was still a little absorbed with his own thoughts to realize that she was talking. It wasn't until she waved a hand in front of his eyes that he blinked rapidly and focused his eyes on hers.

"Are you with me?" she asked, clearly amused. He nodded, blushing just a little bit as he asked her what she was saying. "I was asking you to get some small bowls for me."

"Right away," he said, going over his cabinet again. Brennan wiped her hands on the apron as she walked towards Parker. The child was standing straight on the chair as he beamed at Brennan while she inspected his work.

"I'm done," he said, proudly as Brennan leaned over. Her smile was bright as she saw the many houses and men scattered over the table.

"Great job, Parker," she said, giving him a little peck on the cheek. Booth saw it, and was somehow a little jealous that his son was getting a kiss and he wasn't. Shrugging all thoughts of envy away, Booth handed the bowls over to Brennan.

She placed them next to the mixer and, with a spoon, placed a small portion of frosting in each. Glancing at Parker, she called him over and he carefully climbed down the chair before standing by her side. "Okay, Parker, so while we put the gingerbread in the oven, we need to get the frosting ready. Now, do you want it plain white or colored?"

As soon as the word colored was out of her mouth, Parker's whole face lit up. "Colored! Colored!" he exclaimed, earning a laugh from both adults.

"I guess colored it is," she said, taking the colored paste from her bag. "I have blue, green, yellow and red. Which one do you want?"

"All, please," Parker said sweetly, and again Booth and Brennan laughed.

"Okay, so I'll get them ready for you to mix," she said, turning towards one of the bowls. She placed some of the paste over the snow-white frosting and handed it to Parker along with a spoon. Once back on his chair, he began to mix with enthusiasm, getting some of the frosting on his face and shirt.

Laughing, Brennan took another spoon and container and handed it to Booth. "You can help too," she said, seeing him take it eagerly and wondering if he would make a similar mess to his son.

Leaving the men to mix, she slid the gingerbread people and houses into the oven, before turning to see that Parker had finished, making the previously white frosting now a baby-shade of blue. Booth had a green mixture ready and was making progress with the red.

Smiling at Parker, she took the mixed frosting from him and gave him the yellow for him to work with. They worked in amicable silence for the few minutes it took for the gingerbread to cook, each concentrating so hard on their own tasks that they all jumped upon hearing the oven timer.

Taking a towel in her hands, Brennan opened the oven and took the baking tray out, placing it on the side to cool off. The delicious smell of the gingerbread wafted through the room, and Booth was highly tempted to steal some.

"Don't even think about it," Brennan warned, and he was startled that she knew what he was thinking.

"How did you know?" he asked, impressed.

"You have the same look I was used to have when I was a child and wanted to steal baked goods," she said, proud of her own improved perceptive skills.

"You're no fun," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Don't pout," she said, throwing the towel over his face as Parker's laughter filled the air. She turned to the little boy, taking one of the now-filled bags of frosting and handing it over to him. "Do you want to decorate the cookies?" she asked, knowing what his answer would be.

"Yep," he answered happily, and she helped the little boy up to stand by the now cooler baking tray filled with gingerbread houses and men. Handing him the bag, she stood behind him, her arms around him as she placed her hands over his, slowly guiding his movements while they decorated a house.

Booth watched, amazed as she taught his son and seeing nothing awkward about their interaction - she could have passed as a mother herself. He would never say that to her, but she was really a natural when it came to children.

As they switched the bags, coloring little mouths and crooked windows, Brennan let go of his hands when she was confident that he could do it on his own. Smiling, she turned towards the table, aware of Booth's eyes on her.

Taking a second container from her bag, she opened it and took another plastic wrapped dough from inside, placing it on the table. Booth had a questioning look on his face so she explained. "Angela came over last night while I was doing the gingerbread dough, so she just talked and talked until I agreed to make some sugar cookies too," Brennan said, unwrapping the dough as she sprinkled more sugar over the surface. "It's her favorite and she's always pestering me to make some, so I took the opportunity."

"How did you escape work today? Cam can't be too happy about it," he said, knowing his ex-girlfriend's need to be in control of the team.

"I worked on Saturday so I could take today off," she said, taking the rolling pin as she began to stretch the dough.

"I did that too," Booth said, and they both exchanged a smile before Parker's voice carried through the kitchen.

"Bones, I finished," he said, and she walked over to him, peeking over his shoulders.

"Good job, Parker, it looks great," she said, hugging him from behind as the little boy giggled. "Now you can help me again with the other cookies." Taking Parker in her arms, she placed him on the floor, handing him another cookie cutter. "Can you cut them for me?"

"I can do it," he said, again assuming a serious expression as he walked over to the stretched dough and began to cut the new heart-shaped sugar cookies.

"Hearts, Bones?" Booth asked, amused that she had such a girly cookie cutter.

"Angela, Valentine's Day. Need I say more?" she explained, earning a chuckle from the agent. Just a few minutes later, Parker had all the cookies cut and Brennan placed them on the baking tray, sliding them into the still warm oven.

"Okay, Parker, so while the cookies are baking, you have to go change because we have to leave soon," Booth said, placing his hands on his son's shoulders, pushing him lightly out into the hall, towards his room. Selecting some clothes for his son, Booth left as he was old enough to dress himself and walked back to the kitchen.

Brennan was taking the heart-shaped cookies from the oven as Booth entered. She had her back to him, and Booth could tell something was wrong as she seemed reluctant to turn around and face him. So he approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder as he spoke softly.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and she turned very slowly to face him, her eyes moist with a few unshed tears.

"My mom and I used to bake cookies every Christmas together," she said, and his heart broke for her, "And I was just thinking… I mean, my dad and my brother are both in jail, and my mom…" She stopped, breathing deeply as the emotions threatened to take over. "My mom is gone and… I just realized that I'm never having a Christmas like the ones I used to have," she finished, and wordlessly, Booth wrapped his arms around her slim frame.

"You're not alone," he said, dropping a small kiss on her hair. "You have a family that loves you, and friends that will never leave you. You might not have a Christmas like that, but you can still have a great one. All you have to do is try, and I'm here for whatever you need me," he said, feeling all her reluctance leaving her body as she let herself go in his embrace.

"Bones?"

Both adults turned as they heard Parker's voice, the little boy standing over the doorway, confused by the adults. He wandered to them and he pulled Brennan down so she crouched by him. "Don't cry, Bones," he said, wiping her tears with his small fingers. "Why are you crying?"

She was touched by his actions, an innocent gesture towards someone he barely knew, but already cared for. Brennan slowly ran her fingers through his curls, smiling as she gazed at his worried expression. "I just miss my mom," she said, and he took her hand in his.

"Is she away?" he asked, trying to understand. She searched her mind for the right thing to say, something to let the boy understand, since she knew the blunt truth would be too raw for a seven-year-old. So she just thought of what Booth would say, and the answer came.

"My mom is in heaven," she said, knowing that she didn't believe in such a thing as the after-life or paradise. But it was such beautiful thought, and she was so tired of fighting against this. Sometimes late at night, when the whole world seemed to be crashing down on her, all she wanted for comfort was her mother's arms wrapped securely around her, her sweet perfume enveloping her. And the thought of seeing her again was strangely tempting even to her scientific mind.

Booth was speechless as he watched his son wrap his arms around Brennan, offering a bit of comfort even though he didn't quite understand the full magnitude of her emotions. She smiled, hugging him back for a few seconds before breaking apart.

"Thank you," she said to the little boy as she once again placed a small kiss on his cheek. Standing up, she sent a shaky smile to Booth before heading to the bathroom to splash some water on her face.

Picking his son up, Booth hugged him as he stroked his blond hair. "Good job, bub. I'm proud of you," he whispered in his ear.

"Thanks, daddy," Parker said as he was placed back on the floor. Just then Brennan walked back into the room, her face brighter as she took a red bag from the kitchen.

"I brought this so we can put the cookies in it for Parker to take to his mom's house when he goes," she said, starting to put some of the hearts and gingerbread shapes in the box. Smiling, she handed a gingerbread house to Parker as the little boy was eyeing them hungrily. Noticing a similar looker on Booth's face, she took a cookie and offered it to him, "Want a heart, Booth?"

"Sure." _Yours_, he thought as he took the cookie from her. One bite, and he was grinning in delight. "Bones, this is amazing."

"Thank you," she said, blushing hard as he put the whole cookie into his mouth.

"Is there anything you don't do?" he asked, taking Parker's bag along with the red one now filled with cookies that he was tempted to steal. "You identify remains, you fight, you shoot, you cook, you write. You're definitely one of the most interesting women I've ever met."

"You're way cooler than daddy's other girlfriends," Parker chimed in, and Brennan blushed harder.

"Thank you," she said again. Looking over to the sink, she prepared herself for the cleaning up she had to do.

"We're late," proclaimed Booth, knowing he would face Rebecca's wrath if he wasn't on time.

"You can go ahead, I'll lock up after I'm done with the dishes," said Brennan.

"Come with us," Booth said.

"Go with you where?" she inquired.

"Parker's in the church play. He's playing Joseph," Booth said, proud of his little boy. She looked uncertain, searching for an excuse not to go.

"Come, Bones," said Parker as he tugged on her sleeve. "Please?" There it was, the damn adorable pout that she knew would be the end of her, especially when she saw a similar one on Booth senior. Resigned, she wordlessly took of the apron and smiled, letting Parker lead her all the way to the car.

"Alright," said Booth as he locked the door, taking a hidden cookie from his pocket and walking towards the car.

Moments later they were off to the local church where, if Booth was right, they would see a re-enactment of Jesus' birth, and he could only hope that, this year, the kids would remember their lines and no Advent candles would be knocked over during the arrival of the Wise Men.

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**Okay, so can you feel Christmas Eve coming? I can and I'm currently a little nervous since I have so much to write before that day comes!!! So leave a pretty review and help me with this path towards the sweet end!!!**


	12. Parker Of Bethlehem

**A/N: Hello, lovely people!!! Bet you didn't think you would see me so fast, huh? But here I am, with another chapter!!! Also, I'm running low on time to reply to all the reviews, so hang in there because I will, I'm just a bit busy right now. And, since this update came so close to the last one, I just want to ask everyone who hasn't review chapter 11 to please review!!!**

**A HUGE, but seriously HUGE shout to bertie for just being an angel!!! And also, thanks to mecedeme and DarkLady4 for suggestions that I used in this chapter!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

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**_Eight days to Christmas... later that day..._**

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"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Brennan as they first stepped inside the church. She looked around expectantly, almost waiting for holy water to start boiling and lightning to strike. Booth led her with a hand on the small of her back, ushering her further inside. 

"What do you mean?" he asked, smiling as Parker waved enthusiastically from his spot in the front of the church while Rebecca kneeled at his feet, trying to adjust the length of his Joseph costume.

"Well, I might offend someone's sensitivities," she said, knowing that, with her track record, that wasn't a lie. "I might embarrass you."

Booth opened his mouth to object to her statement, before realizing that humiliating him in public was kind of her specialty so decided to head her off at the pass, knowing that once the play started, she would have many anthropological speeches on the inaccuracy of the story or on pagan rituals. "So let's make a deal, okay?"

She eyed him curiously as she sat beside him, three rows from the front, not knowing what to expect, but nodding anyway. "You can observe the culture or whatever it is that you observe, but you keep your opinions to yourself for now. Later, when it's just you and me, you can ask or discuss anything you want. Also, no calling God my invisible friend, saying that he doesn't exist or that Jesus is a zombie. How does that sound?"

She considered for a second, looking around at the very crowded church and back to her partner. "Sounds agreeable," she said and he breathed a sigh of relief at the compromise.

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes as Brennan began to 'observe' the culture, or, more likely, the structure of the beautiful Gothic-style church. Her eyes traveled wide as it accompanied the stained glass windows portraying Christ's crucifixion. It was beautifully constructed, the different colored glasses forming mosaics as they all told a story of pain and sacrifice, along with the memorial windows in honor of someone's loved ones.

For his part, Booth was dividing his time between watching his handsome son and his gorgeous partner. His little boy was growing up so fast, and since Booth hardly saw Parker, he was afraid that one day his son would no longer call him 'daddy'. He loved being Parker's daddy; it was the best job he ever had.

Now, as for the highly frustrating and lovably clueless woman beside him… She was a case apart from every relationship he'd ever had in his life. Upon entering the Jeffersonian Institute for the first time so long ago, he had no idea how much his life would change. And when his boss had warned him not to get involved with a squint, he had laughed it off. Who's laughing now, huh?

Suddenly, he was pulled out of his thoughts as the organ sounded, and Brennan, with the curiosity of a kid who asks 'why' everything is as it is, begun poking him. "What?" he asked, annoyed with the constant jab of her finger in his ribs.

"What's going on?" she inquired, her gaze drifting back and forth as she surveyed the aisle.

"They're starting," he said, pointing to an elderly woman standing close to the altar. Next to her, Brennan saw the small stage put together for the kids to re-enact the birth of Jesus.

"Who is that?"

"Parker's Sunday school teacher," Booth said, shushing her when she tried to ask something else.

"Welcome, everybody," greeted the woman as she smiled fondly at the many happy faces looking back at her. "Let me just say that I'm thrilled to see so many people came. Our kids worked hard with this play, and we're grateful that everyone is here to watch it."

She stepped aside, the microphone still in her slightly wrinkled hand as she adjusted her thick glasses over her eyes, squinting at the folder in her hand. "Without any further delay, let's begin."

The lights were all turned off as the whole room was now lit only by the candles strategically placed around the altar, leaving an ethereal glow over the small stage as Parker, or better yet, Joseph, entered, his Mary holding her belly as the narration carried on.

Booth was surprised to see the contented glint in the eyes of his partner as she watched the play. The small children dressed as donkeys, cows and sheep were all mooing, baaing and in one case doing what sounded like a very sincere monkey impression as Mary and Joseph settled into the stable.

One unfeasibly quick and painless child-birth later, Mary was cradling a Chatty-Cathy doll fondly, while Parker looked on proudly after a stern glance at a particularly rowdy sheep.

The shepherds were next to arrive, following an appearance by an limelight-loving Angel Gabriel, who clearly had some sort of grievance against Mary, since she stood in front of her at every opportunity. Once various toy sheep had been dragged, rolled, kicked and thrown across the stage by the enthusiastic, if not particular adept, shepherds, they all took their places around the manger with happy smiles on their faces.

As a bright 'star'/flashlight-on-a-stick shone in the sky above the little stable, Brennan was amused as she turned her attention towards the footsteps heralding the approach of the Three Wise Men, each one carrying their present. She laughed lightly as the first Wise Man almost tumbled to the floor when the little boy behind him stepped on his way-too-large robe. Brennan laughed again as the last Wise Man got halfway down the aisle before remembering that Chatty-Jesus needed Myrrh too and dashing back to retrieve his gift.

As each of the Wise Men honored the new-born with their now-present gifts, Mary held out her baby so that they could see him. But as she did, Chatty-Jesus seemed to have a mind of his own, and made a break for freedom when Mary got distracted, landing head-first on the floor with a thud.

A low echo of laughter filled the church and Brennan had to laugh when Parker found her in her pew and waved enthusiastically. She was marveled at how 'in-character' he was as he was interacting with the audience. As Mary lifted her baby again, cheeks pink with embarrassment, the narration continued with the teacher's soft voice echoing through the quiet church.

When the play was finished, the choir of children began to sing Silent Night, the melody mixed with the sweet combined voices of the children was really soothing, and Brennan felt herself relaxing, leaning against Booth's shoulder as they continued to sing.

As the song reached the chorus, Brennan was delighted to observe the children, all of them with innocent faces, even the small donkey-dressed boy who was picking his nose while distractedly watching the flames from the candles dancing.

When the song ended, the whole congregations stood up to clap, and Brennan applauded along with Booth, big smiles on both their faces. When the whole service ended, Parker ran across the church and found his mother, talking a mile a minute about his moment of triumph.

With a hand on her back, Booth guided Brennan through the crowd, and over to Parker and Rebecca. "Daddy!" the boy exclaimed as he left his mother's arms and hugged Booth. Letting go, he turned and hugged Brennan's legs, earning a ruffle of his blond curls.

"You were great, Parks," said Booth as he gathered the little boy in his arms, kissing his cheek. Parker giggled, and Rebecca smiled at her not-so-small son.

"You really were," said Brennan, pinching his nose lightly as Parker wiggled until Booth put him down. Walking over to his mother, he took her hand and pulled her with him towards Brennan.

"Mommy, this is Bones," he said, taking Brennan's hand also.

"Hello, Dr Brennan," said Rebecca politely before turning to her boy. "Bones is not a nice name to call a lady, Parker."

"But daddy calls her Bones too," he whined, and Rebecca looked up to see Booth pointedly avoiding her gaze.

"It's okay, Rebecca. I'm used to it," said Brennan, jabbing Booth lightly in the ribs as he glared playfully at her.

"Hey!" Booth protested, rubbing his ribs while Brennan just looked at him, a smug smirk on her lips.

Rebecca watched their interaction, amused as the partners entered a staring contest. "Okay, so it's time to go," she said, glancing at her son. "Say goodbye to daddy and Dr Brennan, Parks."

"Call me Temperance, Rebecca," said Brennan as she extended a hand to the blonde woman. "Bye."

"Bye, Temperance," said Rebecca, still a bit uncomfortable around the anthropologist. But if both Booth and Parker were so enamored with her, then she could make an effort.

Booth crouched down, hugging his son tight as they said goodbyes. "See you on Christmas Eve, okay buddy?"

"Okay. Bye daddy," the little boy said, a bright smile fixed on his face. Brennan crouched before him, and the little boy hugged and kissed her. "Bye, Bones," Parker said as he took Rebecca's hand. Brennan just waved at him as they walked out of the church.

Turning, she placed a hand on Booth's arm, comforting him as she knew that every goodbye was hard. He smiled at her, silently grateful for her support.

Taking her hand, he proceeded to pull her with him as they walked towards the side of the church. "Where are we going, Booth?" she asked, confused as he stopped in front of the table filled with burning candles. "What am I supposed to do?"

"We're lighting a candle for your mom, Bones," he said, taking the long match in his hand and placing it in her open palm. She was surprised, her eyes sparkling with the light from the candles and he could see a few tears welling up. "We're remembering and treasuring her," he said, and standing behind her with a hand over hers, he guided her until the match was lit.

Moving her hand forwards, she closed her eyes as they lit the wick, and in her ear she could make out the prayer he was whispering. "What now?" she asked softly, turning in his arms as he took a step back. Gently rubbing her arms, he pulled her to him, and they both walked out of the church.

"How about some pizza and movies while you help me to wrap all Parker's Christmas gifts?"

* * *

"Tell me again why I'm the one doing all the work and you're just staring?" Brennan asked as she cut a small piece of tape, placing it neatly over the side of the dinosaur wrapping paper. 

"I was helping before you started to correct every little thing I did," he said, shoving a piece of pizza into his mouth as he grinned at her from his seat on the floor.

"If your wrapping skill weren't worse than Parker's, I wouldn't have to correct you," she chided, satisfied with yet another perfectly wrapped present as she attached a yellow bow to it. She placed it inside a bag and the rummaged through it until she found another unwrapped box.

"Don't know why you feel like it needs to be so perfect. Parker will just rip it off in a second anyway," he said, taking a sip of his beer as she eyed the liquid with thirsty eyes.

"I'm hungry too, you know?" she said, rolling out the wrapping paper on the table before placing a Transformers box over it.

"Then eat," he said, taking another piece of pizza from the box by way of demonstration.

"I can't, otherwise I'll never finish wrapping these since you decided to buy the whole store for Parker this Christmas," she said, glaring at him as he moaned with his delicious pizza filling his cheeks, making them chubby. "Why didn't you have them all wrapped at the store?"

"You're kidding, right? You have no idea how big the line to get the presents wrapped was," he said, wiping his mouth with his napkin before taking another sip of his beer. "Besides, I don't need them to charge me for something I can do at home."

"But you're not doing it," she said smugly, cutting small little pieces of tape and gluing them on the coffee table for future use. "You're taking advantage of the fact that I can actually wrap presents to steal all my pizza."

"Take it as a compliment," he said, chuckling as she playfully slapped a red bow on his forehead. "You planning on giving me to anyone for Christmas, Bones?"

She laughed awkwardly at her own thoughts as she vehemently said "no" over and over again inside her head. "I'll wrap all these presents as long as you don't eat my half of the pizza," she said.

"What? You think I'm gonna eat your disgusting looking green vegetarian half?" he asked teasingly as he made a disgusted face towards the pizza box.

"Good thing then, because if you eat any more, you'll get fat," she said, knowing too well that he would take the bait. And you could always count on Seeley Booth for that.

"I'm not fat, okay? This is pure muscle," he said, patting his stomach. She eyed his abdomen, knowing that, with all the push-ups and pull-ups he did, his muscles would feel like rock under her fingers. Nice, warm, good-to-eat-dessert-toppings-off rock. But that didn't mean she couldn't provoke him.

"I'm just saying, if you eat too much, you'll develop love handles," she said, remembering the expression from so long ago.

"First, I will never develop love-handles. Second, where did you learn that?" he asked, in disbelief.

"Sully," she simply said.

He looked awkward for a minute at the mention of her runaway ex-boyfriend, but being Booth, he quickly tried to lighten the mood. And boost his ego at the same time. "Well, Sully did look like a love-handle kind of guy..."

She rolled her eyes but smiled at him nonetheless, and he suggested, "So why don't I ditch this disgusting excuse for a pizza and order some real food for you?"

"Are you trying to get me fat, Booth?" she asked, giving him a playful shove.

"Not at all. I don't even think that's possible since you're so thin I'm gonna have to call you Bones 'cause it'll be the only thing left of you," he said, laughing.

But she wasn't. "Are you saying I'm only skin and Bones, Booth?" she asked, straightening her spine as she showed all her attributes.

Booth stammered, trying to find a way to dig himself out of this whole and stop staring at the two pieces of evidence that thoroughly disproved that claim. "That's not what I… What I meant… It's not…" It was only Brennan started laughing that he realized that she was just teasing him. "You were making fun of me," he stated, chuckling.

"Too easy," she replied, resuming her previous wrapping. "Do you really think I'm that insecure about my body, Booth?" she asked, and he swallowed hard.

_No reason to be_, he thought as his eyes drifted over his partner's curvy body. How he would love to explore all those mysterious paths of tantalizing porcelain skin. He was sure it would feel very soft, and taste just as sweet as honey.

"So what are we going to watch now?" he asked, getting up from the floor as he walked towards the television, hoping she didn't notice the sudden change of subject.

She did, but for his sake, decided to let it slide this time. "What do we have?" she asked, putting the last wrapped present inside the bag as she gathered up the scissors, the tape and all the remaining wrapping paper which had been scattered on the floor.

"'It's a Wonderful Life', 'Miracle on 34th Street', 'A Christmas Carol', and a bunch of cartoons that I know you'll hate," he said.

"'It's a Wonderful Life'," she chose, and her partner grinned, watching her scoot closer to the couch as she leaned against it, taking her first piece of pizza from inside the box. As he adjusted the volume, Brennan took her time eating while taking sips of her beer in between bites.

"Here we go," Booth said as he flicked off the lights and dropped himself beside her, taking her beer from her as he took a sip. She watched him for a few seconds, taking in his expressions, barely discernable in the dim light coming from the black and white movie playing on TV.

"Thanks, Booth," she said, surprising him.

"For what? Putting on the movie?" he asked, chuckling.

"Thank you for sharing your Christmas with me," she said, softly.

He smiled back, taking her hand in his. "You're welcome, Bones."

"Also, thank you for always being here for me," she said, and he pulled her closer until she was leaning against his chest.

"Always, Bones. Never doubt it," he said, and with smiles on their faces, they sat together in amicable silence as the sounds from the Christmas movie washed over them.

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**Tick-tock, tick-tock... I feel like Captain Hook with that damn gator closing in on me, and the clock is ticking!!! I'm working as fast as I can, so cross your fingers and review so I can be bubbly and happy to write fast so we can have this puppy done on time!!!**


	13. Light My World

**A/N: Here I am again!!! So I have a few thing to say about this chapter. I decided not to write anything with Brennan's family since the scenes in the episode were so good!!! So I just used a few elements from the episode and constructed a little scene of my own. **

**Thank you so much, bertie, for always knowing just what to say, and for revising my work!!! And thanks to everyone who gave me the suggestion I used in a part of this chapter, and if I haven't thanked you in a reply, I'll do it now: thank you!!!Also, thanks to AtMyBehest for giving me a joke to use on this chapter!!! You'll know what I'm talking about!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

**_

* * *

Five days to Christmas_**

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"Okay, so whose turn is it?" Angela asked as she filled her empty glass with more wine than she should be probably consuming inside the hallowed halls of the Jeffersonian Institute. 

"Mine," said Cam as she reached behind her for her pile wrapped Christmas gifts, distributing them to each of the team members. Brennan was still a little unused the whole being-friends-with-her-boss concept as she accepted her present.

While Hodgins, Booth and Angela simply ripped the packages open, Brennan always took her time carefully unwrapping her gifts. According to Booth, she was missing half the fun of Christmas, but she ignored him as she watched the growing mound of torn paper on the lounge floor.

As it was now just a few days to Christmas, Angela had suggested that they should exchange their gifts since Zach was leaving to go back home just after the Jeffersonian party, as was Cam, who was obviously very excited about spending the holiday with her wonderful sister Felicia. That was, at least, what she told Zach through gritted teeth.

For most of the night, they exchanged their gifts and laughed while making good use of the nice four bottles of Chardonnay that Angela had commandeered from Hodgins' wine cellar. In his role as Temperance Brennan's chauffeur, Booth had politely declined when he was offered a glass, leaving it up to the squints to do all the drinking.

Half way through his first glass, Zach already had slurred speech and a ruddy complexion. Cam, Jack and, unsurprisingly, Angela, could hold their liquor as they seemed unfazed by the three glasses they had already each consumed. Brennan, however, remembering the rather embarrassing occasion on which she'd passed out on her partner's couch after only two glasses, was nursing one half full glass for the time being, not wanting a repeat of her memory loss.

They had finished exchanging gifts, but no-one seemed willing to leave yet, and so the team resolved to just stay there, somewhere between way-too-happy-for-work and way-too-bubbly-for-driving. "So Booth," Angela started, a glint in her eyes that made Booth nervous as he recognized the patent-pending smile she always had when starting a conversation he knew he didn't want to have.

"What, Angela?" he asked, knowing that even if he kept his mouth shut and ignored her, she would just go on with a one-sided conversation.

"How is your Christmas going?" she asked, swirling the wine in her glass as she leaned contentedly against her boyfriend.

"Very good," he said, trying not to give anything away, but failing miserably as he glanced at Brennan, and her cheeks went pink. Angela, having no trouble thinking while in her alcohol induced bliss, noticed the small exchange.

"Good, huh? So what have you being doing? Because I know that date with Bren wasn't the only encounter you two had," she said, and Cam stifled a laughed as she looked at Booth.

"Angela," Brennan warned, knowing her friend's unstoppable quest for information regarding their personal lives.

"We did some Christmassy things, that's all," Booth said, shrugging. "No big deal."

"Right, so what Christmassy activities were involved? Tree decorating, baking cookies?" she asked, and her smile turned into a full grin. "Find the pickle?"

"Angela!" Booth hissed, half annoyed and half amused that Angela seemed to find sex innuendos anywhere. Just name it, and her dirty mind would drag it straight to the gutter.

"What?" she asked innocently as Cam and Hodgins laughed.

Zach was either trying to get the joke or simply fighting to overcome his mild drunkenness. "What pickle?" he asked to no one in particular, and both Angela and Hodgins rolled their eyes.

"We did normal Christmas things, Angela," said Brennan, her serious tone covering up the fact that she was actually amused by her friend's joke, since she was always happy when she understood social interaction without help.

"Like…" Angela prompted, dissatisfied by how vague their answers were.

"Baking, shopping… You know… Christmas things," Brennan said.

"And as much fun as getting covered in flour can be, a nice, warm, shared bath to clean up afterwards is always better," Angela said, wiggling her eyebrows. "Especially with bubble bath."

"We had Parker along," Booth said as though lunging for a lifeline. It worked and the artist looked like a kid whose favorite candy had been stolen. Booth smirked, glad that he had managed to put a stop to Angela's daydreaming as he was starting to get a bit uncomfortable with her ability to sexualize everything they said.

"Can't do much with a kid around," said Hodgins ruefully. "I once dated this woman-"

He was cut off by Booth as the agent raised a hand to stop his speech, "Yeah, and she had a kid who didn't like you and hit you over the head with a trunk. Deservedly."

"Actually, this was another woman I dated. She had this daughter-"

"Again, don't want to know about how you probably scarred a child for life by not waiting till the kid was properly asleep," Booth said, and the women all laughed while the entomologist pouted over having his thunder stolen.

"Waiting for what?" Zach asked, trying really hard to keep himself sitting, his arms loose at his sides and his eyes glazed and unfocused.

"I'll tell you when you grow up," said Hodgins, slapping the doctor playfully on the back. However, Zach currently had the balance of a hippo on a unicycle and promptly toppled over on the couch, leaving him lying contentedly on his back across Cam's lap.

"I believe my motor functions are momentarily impaired," Zach observed, before producing a very unscientific giggle at this conclusion. Sighing but smiling, Cam hoisted him back to a sitting position and he edged closer towards her, as a future source of stability.

While everyone was distracted by Zach's inebriated tumbling routine, Booth took the opportunity to get Brennan's attention. "Come with me," he whispered, and she furrowed her brow.

"Where? Why?" she asked, confused.

"I want to give you your present," he said, grinning like a kid and she tried to hide her smile when he nudged her teasingly, urging her to act.

"What are you two whispering about?" asked Angela, her matchmaking sensor going off every time they invaded each other's personal space.

"Booth wants to give me my gift," she said as both partners got to their feet and began donning their heavy coats.

"Really… what is it?" asked Angela, highly interested in what Booth had stashed away for Brennan that he couldn't give in front of everyone.

"None of your business, Angela," said Booth, laughing at her expression.

"Come on, just a clue," she begged. "Is it edible? Lacy? Furry?"

"Did you get Dr Brennan a dog, Agent Booth?" asked Zach.

"Not that kind of fur, Zach," explained Angela, rolling her eyes before turning back to the non-couple.

"None of the above," said Booth, waving goodbye as he ushered Brennan out, both carrying all their presents inside a bag.

"Bye, guys," waved a smiling Brennan right before she disappeared from sight.

Angela watched them go, a huge grin over her features. "I bet it's something very personal and sentimental," she said, leaning back against the couch.

"Totally," agreed Hodgins.

"I thought Dr Brennan wanted a pig," said Zach, still trying to understand why his mentor would want a dog.

"Okay, so where is my gift?" she asked now that Booth had guided her outside the institute, into the freezing cold of mid December in DC. She pulled her coat closer to her body as the wind played with her hair, and rubbed her gloved hands together for warmth.

He didn't answer her question, only nodded towards his waiting SUV as he smiled. "Get in," he said, walking ahead of her as he unlocked the car.

She sat on the passenger side, still watching her partner suspiciously as she buckled up. "Where are we going?" she asked as he started to drive to God knows where.

He grinned, always glad when Miss Know-it-all had no idea what to expect. "Just relax and sit back, Bones," he said, grinning wider as she glared at him from her seat.

"I don't like surprises," she said, crossing her arms under her breasts as the glare intensified.

"So you didn't like the date we went on?" he asked, and amusingly she blushed, trying to hide her reaction by turning her head towards the window.

"You know I did," she said quietly, still not looking at Booth. However, she was surprised when a small packet landed in her lap. Eyeing it curiously, she asked, perplexed, "You bought me M&Ms for Christmas?"

Booth sighed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Bones. And, no, the candy is to give you something else to do with your mouth instead of constantly asking me if we're there yet."

She smirked, quietly pleased by his thoughtfulness, but corrected anyway, "You didn't need to buy me candy, Booth. I can do other things with my mouth besides talk and eat."

He raised his eyebrows. "I'm sure you can, Bones, but I don't think a car is a suitable place for that."

Realization dawned and her cheeks flushed pink as she stammered, "I- I didn't mean- I just meant that I could keep my mouth closed if you didn't want me to talk. You didn't have to fill it with anything." Booth glanced over at her, surprised, and again she amended, "Candy. Didn't have to fill it with candy."

Desperate for a change of subject, she looked out of the windows, quickly finding one. "Where are we?" she asked as she glanced around, not sure if she had ever been in that particular part of DC before. The houses around them were luxurious, their perfectly kept lawns and trees decorated with the largest variety of Christmas lights Brennan had ever seen.

"We're in the suburbs, Bones," he answered, maneuvering the car smoothly through the streets and lowering the speed a little so they could enjoy the view.

"It's so beautiful," she said, her eyes shining as they passed a colonial-style house. The edges of the roof were sparkling with Christmas lights and a large tree stood by the window, lit by the lights from inside.

"They always know how to brighten up the neighborhood," Booth said, snaffling a few pieces of candy from his distracted partner.

For her part, Brennan was lost in a sea of light and snow, the beautiful scenes carefully put together in each house giving her a strange sad feeling as she thought of her own apartment, where everything was neatly in place with no sign that Christmas was around the corner. Maybe she would change that.

As the lights of the suburbs disappeared behind them, she smiled, glancing at Booth as he faced forward an unreadable expression on his face. Not knowing what to say or do, she placed a hand on his arm to attract his attention, and so, he turned to her. He smiled softly when his eyes registered her worried expression, but as much as he would've loved to share his thoughts with her now and put her mind at ease, he couldn't. Not yet anyway.

"We're almost there," he said, placing his hand over hers and squeezing it lightly. She smiled back, enjoying the feel of his warm palm against her skin as she felt a fluttering inside her stomach.

They drove in a comfortable silence for a little over ten minutes as they both enjoyed the view, Brennan looking out the window, and Booth looking simply at her. When the car came to a stop, she glanced around, and a frown came over her flawless features. "Why are we here?" she asked, trying hard to understand her partner's motivations for bringing her to the place that now held both her father and brother.

"A couple of days ago you said you would never have a family Christmas again," he said and she nodded, encouraging him to continue. "Well, I wanted you to have a great Christmas, so, a few phone calls later and a weekend at a spa for Caroline on my card, and I got it all set up."

"All what set up?" Brennan asked, not really following his reasoning. "I arranged for you to spend some time with your brother and your father today," he said.

Wide eyed, Brennan was momentarily speechless before finding her voice and asking incredulously, "You what?"

"I just arranged for you and Amy, along with your nieces, to see you family in one of those trailers they use for conjugal visits. They're already in there decorating, so you better hurry," he said, taking some bags out of the backseat. "I brought you their presents."

Still speechless, Brennan continued to watch him, too amazed to move. Prepared for this, Booth pushed the presents into her hands and ushered her from the car. "You can stare all you want later, right now you have to go be with your family," he said, nudging her from her seat as she slipped out.

"Booth…" she whispered, looking back at him. He smiled gently.

"I'll be here when you come out."

She nodded, turning her back to him as she took uncertain steps towards the prison as Booth watched her go.

While she was inside, he sat there, inside the warmth of his own car, thinking about the extent of his own actions. If this were any woman, he would have gotten chocolates, flowers, even perfume for Christmas. But she wasn't any woman. She was the woman. The one. His half, his whole.

When she had silently questioned him, just minutes ago, he couldn't have told her what was on his mind. Because his mind was filled with thoughts of her, of her laughter, her smile. Her kindness, her caring, her annoyance and her incredible ability to piss him off and turn him on at the same time.

And he was angry for a minute at the world, at everyone who could ever take away the bright spirit he saw so little of, but already loved. Yes, loved. And as strange as it sounded, and as crazy as he knew it was, it couldn't be denied. It wouldn't be denied. When she was happy, he was happy with her, for her. When she was sad, he wanted to shield her form the world in a cocoon, surrounding her with love and warmth to contrast with the danger and cold she'd met all her life.

He'd made a vow a long time ago, when he first realized that his lovely partner had taken over a big part of his heart, that he would make her happy one day. For him, it didn't matter how or when it happened, only that one day she would know what he kept so carefully hidden from her, about her.

And as his thoughts drifted and he sat with a smile on his face as he considered the endless possibilities the future held, time seemed to slip away from him, and soon he found himself drifting off to sleep, lulled by the lingering scent of her perfume.

He didn't know how much time passed, but all he was aware of when his eyes opened again was the sound of the car door slamming shut. As he tried to compose himself, he had no time to react when he felt her soft lips against his cheek, dangerously close to his lips. The contact spread warmth all over his body, his skin tingling as she leaned back.

"Thank you," Brennan whispered with a bright, huge smile on her face as she leaned forward, and he just opened his arms to welcome her in a hug. She buried her face in his shoulder, his familiar scent enveloping her, making her heart leap and her mind dizzy. "Thank you," she whispered again, and he kissed the crown of her head, stroking her hair.

"Anything for you, Bones."

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**And, NO, there was no kiss under the mistletoe, so you'll just have to wait and see what happens next!!! What do you think? Let me know because I adore your opinions! I'll be working on the next chapter tonight, so you can expect it to be up some time during the weekend. **


	14. Should I, Should I Not

**A/N: So, as promised, and earlier than I thought since it was sent to me from the editing room earlier (hi, bertie!!!!), here is the chapter!!! It's half of it because the other part will be written this weekend. I hope you enjoy it, I had a lot of fun writing it!!! **

**Also, I just want to say that any similarities between this chapter and any other fics are a coincidence, this chapter was planned this way from the start, so I'm sorry.**

**Thanks as always to bertie for putting up with my errors, good thing they are at least funny!!! **

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

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_**Christmas Eve**_

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"What the…" Booth murmured as he climbed the steps to the hall hired for the Jeffersonian ball. Looking around, he tried hard not to roll his eyes as he saw someone dressed as an elf walking alongside another who looked suspiciously like Gandalf. Leave it to squints to dress up as characters from The Lord of the Rings at a Christmas ball. 

Straightening his impeccable black dinner jacket, he checked his pockets twice before daring to walk into the strange and unsettling world of the squint convention.

When first told the Jeffersonian would be hosting a Christmas Ball, Booth was extremely reluctant to grace it with his presence. Later, upon hearing that it was a themed party, he was no longer reluctant. He was one hundred percent sure that he didn't want to go.

But as usual, he was always overruled when it came to his partnership with Brennan. As her presence was mandatory, she had vowed to assign Zach as his forensic anthropologist if he didn't go with her. It worked like a charm.

So, maybe it wouldn't be so bad, right? He knew this would be a once in a lifetime experience if only because he refused to ever again participate in any event held by or for squints. Despite being highly annoyed by the fact that he was even there, Booth had to admit the place looked fantastic. The ceiling and walls were lined with red and gold drapes and on his right, there was a beautifully decorated tree which sparkled with twinkling lights. With an amused smile, he noticed an abnormal amount of mistletoe hanging in every corner of the room, undoubtedly evidence of Angela's input.

And speaking of Angela… There was a definite similarity between the veiled creature ahead of him and the Jeffersonian's resident match-maker. Relieved to find someone he recognized, he made a beeline for the artist, avoiding a small party of Seven Dwarves on the way.

"Hey Booth," Angela called as he finally managed to reach her side.

"I saw the entire cast of Lord of the Rings, three Santas and two Harry Potters on the way in," he said, laughing at how absurd this party was turning out to be.

"Hey, the theme is magic. We didn't say what kind," she defended, laughing. With different shades of blue veils draped artistically round her body, Angela revealed a lot less skin than Booth expected, although the tight veils left little to the imagination.

"Right. What are you supposed to be?" he asked.

"A nymph," she said with the ever present wide smile she had when thinking of something dirty.

"What kind?" he asked, slightly confused.

"All kinds," she replied, wiggling her brows while he laughed.

"Where are the rest?" Booth inquired, looking around the crowded room in search of familiar faces. Angela grinned, knowing very well who he was looking for, and it sure wasn't Zach. "Jack, Zach and Cam are around. Bren is downstairs changing," she said, and his face betrayed what he was thinking. What was she going to wear?

Just then an arm was wrapped around the artist's waist, and both Angela and Booth turned to be greeted by an elder, a reindeer and a gypsy woman.

"What in the name of God are you?" asked Booth, pointing to Hodgins as he was dressed in a blue tunic, wearing a long white wig and a beard and carrying a thick stick in his hand.

Hodgins grinned, kissing Angela on the cheek. "Aside from a nymphomaniac?" Angela laughed while Booth made no attempted to suppress a shudder. Rolling his eyes, Hodgins answered, "I'm Merlin," before proudly hitting his staff on the ground.

"I'm a reindeer," Zach chipped in, his foam horns hanging crookedly over his head while his body was clothed in a brown jumpsuit, his hands in black gloves which were presumably supposed to represent hooves. "My perspiration level in rather high at this particular moment," he said, and Booth made a face at the thought of someone else having to use the costume after him.

"At least he doesn't have udders this time," Hodgins said, recalling Zach's now-legendary outfit for the Halloween party.

"Before you guess wrong, I'm a fortune teller," Cam said, her long red skirt swishing as she moved with the gold coins on her belt producing a light, and strangely festive, jingling sound. With a dark purple top and large hoop earrings, she could probably pass for the real thing out on the street.

"Care to read my fortune?" Booth asked, grinning at her. Before she could answer, her eyes focused on a spot behind him and he turned, frowning. However as he looked back, his mouth went dry and his eyes widened in surprise.

"I think you fortune is looking pretty good tonight," the pathologist/fortune teller said, and Angela grinned at the sight. Brennan was walking towards them, her outfit planned to perfection by Angela's keen eye. She had created an angel.

Or better yet, a fairy. In a strapless baby pink dress that just skimmed the floor and delicate white wings, she was truly beautiful. And the pinkish tone of her cheeks and flowers entwined in her curled hair were just a bonus as she smiled widely at her friends, eyes sparkling.

"Hey, guys," she greeted, and everyone replied enthusiastically, each sharing different but complimentary opinions on her costume. Everyone except for Booth, who still had his mouth hanging open, speechless for the time being.

"He'll talk again, eventually," said Angela, and Booth just glared at her when everyone laughed.

"Funny," he said sarcastically, blushing a little at the fact that everyone caught him staring at his partner.

"Why aren't you in costume?" asked Brennan suddenly, and for the first time the rest noticed that he was dressed in black tie.

"Dude, that's not fair," Hodgins said, pointing down at himself. "We all dressed up for this."

"I'm a magician?" Booth offered hopefully, but the skeptical looks he received were enough to inform him that they weren't convinced.

"That is not a costume," Hodgins pointed out, slightly aggrieved. "Unless you can pull a bunny out of your non-existent hat, it doesn't count."

Sensing that a demonstration was in order, Booth sighed and held out his hands as proof that they were empty. With a slight smirk, he then proceeded to pull a different colored handkerchief from Angela's veils, Zach's antlers, Cam's belt and Hodgins' beard, before brandishing them with a flourish. "Happy now?"

The rest of the squints smiled at the brief example, satisfied that Booth had at least some form of magic with him tonight, even if it was amateurish magic tricks. Hodgins, however, stared incredulously at his beard, seemingly impressed. "How did you do that?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Did you plant that on me?" Paranoia kicked in and he turned to Angela and Zach. "Were you two in on this?"

Relieved that their attention was elsewhere, Booth murmured under his breath to Brennan, "Hmm, a guy with three doctorates is more easily duped than my six-year-old."

Brennan smiled, before saying teasingly, "Maybe Parker's a prodigy."

Booth chuckled. "A prodigy? At what, seeing through the world's worst magic tricks?" She laughed too, and he took the opportunity to ask casually, "And what are you, Bones?"

She looked incredulously at him with the are-you-kidding-me expression he knew so well. "I'm a fairy," she said, poking him with her wand to demonstrate her point. He laughed, taking the wand from her and examining the silver star on the tip.

"Cute," he said, with a cocky wink.

"I'm not cute," she replied instantly in a low dangerous voice.

Death-stares could not dampen Booth's festive spirit. "I'd have to disagree with you there, Dr Brennan." He tapped her lightly on the nose with her wand and she snatched it off him, trying to hide her smile. "You look cute."

"Why don't we go find our table?" asked Cam, trying to avoid another epic battle between the not-notoriously-bicker-free partners.

"Good idea," seconded Angela, linking her arm with Hodgins' as they made their way through the room. When everyone was seated and happily nursing the first of many drinks to come, banter and laughter filled the air as they chatted animatedly. Since all the guests had now arrived, the DJ really got the party started as the cheerful beat of the songs began to reverberate through the ballroom.

"Now it's a party," Angela announced with a grin, as she and Hodgins headed to the dancefloor, leaving their inhibitions in the empty cocktail glasses. The mysterious Naomi-from-Paleontology came up to Zach, innocently unaware of his lack of skill on the dancefloor, and dragged him off as well.

As they were the only three left on the table, Cam's eyes darted from Booth to Brennan and from Brennan to Booth. She could see his mind working, the invisible daisy having its petals ripped one by one as he searched for an answer. Should I, should I not.

Deciding that the agent needed a nudge in the right direction, she got to her feet, coins clanging gently. "Want to dance, Booth?" Cam asked, offering a hand to him. He looked unsure, glancing at Brennan, who was pointedly avoiding his gaze, instead watching her friends dancing together.

"Sure," he said, taking her hand in his as they walked to the dancefloor. Awkwardly, they started to move, bumping into each other as they tried to find their rhythm.

"You know," Cam said, coming a little closer to Booth, "If you're waiting for the right moment, this is it."

Booth frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"We're not blind, Seeley. You have to make your move," she said. This was rather uncharacteristic coming fro her, but she could never be accused of being a cold hearted woman, especially towards someone she counted as a friend.

"What move?" he asked, now knowing what she was saying but refusing to acknowledge it.

"If you keep playing it like this, one day someone like Sully will come along, and maybe then you won't be so lucky," she said, and, looking in his eyes, she knew the message had got through. "Next time, she might not stay."

"There is too much to lose," he reasoned, and they were now completely off as they danced slowly to the fast beat, their minds elsewhere.

"Really? Because it looks to me like it might be worth the risk," she said, giving him an encouraging smile and when he smiled in return, she knew his mind had been made up.

"Thanks, Cam," he said, kissing her lightly on the cheek as he left the dance floor and headed for their table.

The pathologist sighed deeply as she watched him, thinking about what she'd lost for good. But then again, there were plenty of guys out there, and she wasn't ready to settle for half when she could have a whole.

As Booth approached the table, he couldn't take his eyes off his partner. Her wings glowed as the light streamed through them, making her dress shimmer, and he was tempted to run his fingers through her silky hair as he held her to him, letting the small flowers flutter to the floor.

She looked absent, and he knew part of her was. As much as she enjoyed her friends' company and the friendly atmosphere of the party, she would be so much happier inside her lab, hunched over a skeleton. He smiled as she swirled the wine inside her glass, something she always did when deep in thought.

"Don't over-think it, Bones," he said, and she glanced at him, surprised and mildly embarrassed for not seeing him there before.

"Weren't you dancing with Cam?" she asked, looking back at the dancefloor where her boss was now pretty close with a blond doctor from Archaeology.

"Well, now I'm not," he said, leaning down to bring his face level with hers. With practiced ease, he moved one hand behind her ear, pretending to pluck something out of the air before bringing it back in front of her with a grin.

Temperance was amused, if a little perplexed, to see a small silver tree resting in the palm of his hand. "What is this?" she asked, taking it between her fingers.

"I'll tell you one day. But now, we're dancing," he said, taking her hand in his as he pulled her up.

"I'm not a very good dancer," she warned, trying to pull her hand back, but he wouldn't let her.

"Just let me lead and you'll do fine," he said, holding her gently as a slow ballad began to play.

"Okay," she whispered as his hand rested at her waist, "You lead and I'll follow." As the first lines of the song began to play, his decision only seemed wiser as they swayed softly together. There was a risk in taking a chance, but more at risk through doing nothing.

It was, after all, now or never.

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**I'm a bit worried since the reviews for the last chapter were a bit low. So again, I'm using my favorite method: blackmail! Send me a review and the next part will be up a lot sooner!!! We are reaching the end, everyone, so don't leave me now!!!**


	15. How To Kiss A Fairy

**A/N: So I was so happy with the reviews that I had to write very fast, you guys rock my world!!! Here is the second part, and I hope you enjoy it!!! Also, to fit the timeline, I changed the date, so the ball is at Christmas Eve.**

**Thanks to bertie from always being my angel!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

* * *

**_Christmas Eve_**

* * *

The slow ballad Booth and Brennan were dancing to soon changed to a faster beat. Taking her hand in his, he spun her around, dipping her back as she laughed out loud, before they continued to dance together, lost to the rest of the world. 

They had no idea how many songs had passed by the time they needed to rest, feeling merry and a little dizzy. For her part, Brennan just wanted to sit for a minute to give her feet some rest as her high heels were definitely not made for walking. Or energetic dancing.

Noticing her flushed cheeks, Booth slipped his arm around her shoulders, leading her away from the dancefloor, but since their table was filled with squints, it was definitely not the most private place for the conversation he wanted to have.

"Want to get some air?" he asked her, nodding towards the door that led to the gardens.

She eyed him suspiciously, wanting to tell him about the snow falling outside, but not having the heart as he looked hopefully at her. "Sure," she agreed, knowing she really wasn't dressed for a late night walk in snowy DC. But with a guy like Booth around, with a disarming smile like that, how could she say no?

With a hand on her back, Booth guided her outside, aware of the stares and thumbs up he was getting on the way out. Once outside, the cold air greeted them, the snow was falling in small flakes which covered the ground around them. Hand in hand, they slowly made their way down the steps, taking shelter under a covered promenade as they walked in a slow path around the edge of the gardens.

Being forever the independent, Brennan wouldn't admit that her arms were cold, instead trying to ignore the goosebumps on her skin. But Booth wasn't one of the Bureau's best detectives for nothing.

Taking his dinner jacket off, he offered it to her with a smile. "Take your wings off and put this on."

"You'll get cold," she protested instinctively.

"I'm not cold," he promised, again holding out the jacket to her. "Come on, Tinkerbell, take it."

She glared at him. "Don't call me Tinkerbell."

"I'm surprised you even know who that is," he said, motioning for her to turn her back to him.

"My mother read the book to me when I was little," she informed him, smiling at the memory.

"Put your arms back," Booth instructed, intending to take her wings off. She complied, and he slowly hooked his fingers under the straps, caressing her skin gently as he went. She shivered, fully aware that it had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with his feather-light touch.

When he removed the wings, she quickly pulled the coat over her arms, trying to push down all the feelings he evoked in her. How could such a small gesture unbalance her like this?

Seeing her strange expression, Booth tried to lighten the mood, not wanting her to rationalize every small thing inside that overworked brain of hers. "Why a fairy costume?" he asked, holding the wings in his hands as they rounded a snow-covered tree, its branches laden with the heavy snowfall.

She smiled as she saw right through his intentions to light the mood. "Angela's idea. She wanted to make sure I wore something "extra cute". Her words, not mine," she clarified.

"I figured. You do look beautiful, Bones," he said, the sincerity evident in his voice.

She blushed, a small smile on her lips as she looked at him. "You look pretty good yourself."

He let out an awkward laugh, amazed at how teenager-like their behavior was, complete with the fluttering stomach and stumbling speech. He was always smooth when it came to the ladies, but around her, he felt like a kid waiting for his first kiss.

"Thanks, Bones," he replied, stretching his hand out to catch a few snowflakes in his palm before they could land on the frosted lawns. She watched him for a few moments, taking in his kind eyes, and his boyish smile as he watched the snow melting in his palm.

He turned, grinning as he caught her staring. "What?"

Brennan blushed again, tucking a curl behind her ear as a white flower slipped from her hair, falling on the paved walkway in front of them. "Nothing," she said, looking the other way as she tried to hide her embarrassment. They walked a little further in silence, watching the snow falling softly over the motionless fountain, sprinkling a white coating on the green leaves of the surrounding trees.

"What are you doing tonight?" Booth asked, and was rewarded with her are-you-challenged look since they were both there at the Jeffersonian's Christmas Ball. "I mean after this," he corrected, quickly.

She grinned, amused by his tone, "I'm going to Peru to help out on a dig," she said, and he stopped beside her.

"Bones, skeletons and Christmas don't mix," he said, making a face at the thought of her spending her vacation digging up some old skeletons in a strange land instead of doing something more… Christmassy.

"I'll have you know that I'm very excited about the remains in El Brujo," she said stubbornly, crossing her arms as she stopped walking.

He turned to her, taking in her challenging stance. "Don't go," he asked quietly, coming closer to her as her eyes followed his every move.

"Booth…" she began, looking up at him with uncertainty.

"Spend the day with me and Parker," he offered, lifting a stray red petal out of her hair and playing with it nervously. "He's with his mom till midday tomorrow, but then I get him till the 27th. You've still got a lot to learn about Christmas and you can get the whole experience this way."

"I don't know…" she murmured. Ditching her planned vacation for some Christmas time with the Booths sounded a lot more serious then a simple afternoon baking cookies.

"Come on, Bones. You can spend Christmas morning with me tomorrow and then have Christmas dinner with us," he said, looking at her with his best puppy-dog eyes. She smiled, fighting but not resisting him.

"Maybe. Give me till the end of the night to think about it?" she asked, not saying yes or no, but leaving a sliver of hope for him to cling on to.

"Of course," he reassured, taking a small step forward to continue on their square circuit of the gardens.

Reaching the corner, they both looked out across the gardens to see the lights of the ballroom diagonally opposite them, with their own winter wonderland between them and it. The snow fall had lessened slightly, making it easier to see the outline of the cloaked flowers against the icy backdrop.

The wind picked up a little and Brennan shivered lightly, slipping her hands inside the dinner jacket pockets for warmth. Feeling something between her fingers, she brought it out for inspection, and her curiosity was aroused when she saw that it was a metal coin, presumably used by Booth's magician alter-ego.

"How is this trick done?" she asked, giving him the coin by way of requesting a demonstration.

"It's easy. You just hide the coin in your shirt sleeve then pretend to take it out of someone's ear," he said, hiding the coin in his sleeve and showing her his empty hands.

Bringing his hand to her ear, he was intending to produce the metal coin and finish his trick. But as she turned her head slightly, her lips brushed his wrists and he lost all concentration, causing the coin to drop to the ground with a ting.

He met her eyes as though hypnotized and could see the emotions swirling inside her blue orbs. He was even more tempted as she licked her lips hesitantly, still keeping his hand close to her neck, teasing her. Slowly, he lifted his hand further, taking a few strands of hair between his fingers and letting another flower float to the floor.

Almost unconsciously, he leaned towards her, gently licking his own lips in nervous anticipation. His heart swelled when he saw she was leaning over too, her eyes fluttering closed as she erased the distance between them, and their lips met.

The first touch was so soft, testing the waters as they both enjoyed this new territory and the strangely familiar feeling of each other. The first taste was so sweet ,the sensations magnified by the suspense from all the years they'd danced around each other.

When his tongue gently probed her lips, seeking entrance to her mouth, she was hesitant since the initial contact had been enough to leave her weak-kneed with her heart pounding inside her chest. But as he repeated the motion with his infamous perseverance, she parted her lips, and he slowly explored every inch of her mouth as she did the same to him.

With lips joined, tongues meeting, and bodies entwined, their natural essence mixed together, combining, completing, arousing. He was drunk on her taste, so divine and sweet that he would never get enough. And as she kissed him back with equal passion, meeting his caresses and nips with the same intensity, he was inclined to believe that maybe she felt the same.

Needing to feel closer to her, he tangled his hand in her hair, feeling a flower breaking apart beneath his palm as he continued to kiss her, knowing that even if he wanted, he couldn't let her go now. Not when she felt and tasted so right. His other hand, still clutching the fairy wings, rested at her waist, bringing her body flush against his as she nibbled on his bottom lip, teasingly.

When she felt her chest against his, the friction between their bodies seemed to warm her from the inside as his hand came from her waist to her back, bringing her even closer to him.

But when he did so, his jacket slipped a little way off her shoulders, the cold wind and snow picking up as it moved.

And that was enough to shock her into reality. The lips that felt so good, the tongue that could do those things to her, the hands that she never wanted to leave her body all belonged to her partner and best friend, Seeley Booth.

Wide eyed, she broke away from his embrace, and with a hand over her mouth, she backed away into the gardens, ignoring the heavily falling snow.

"Oh God..." she whispered, still tasting him on her tongue, still feeling the tingle in her scalp where his fingers had previously been.

"Temperance," he whispered, taking a step towards her as she took another back, the frozen grass crunching under their feet. Icy wind whipped through his thin shirt, and he could clearly see how her dark hair was now decorated with delicate snowflakes.

Hearing her name, her given name, tumbling out of those lips just made everything more real, and she suddenly couldn't breathe as the pounding inside her chest intensified.

"Oh God..." she repeated, turning her back to him as she gathered up the fabric of her dress before walking as fast as her heels could carry her through the snow-covered gardens, eyes stinging with tears and the bitter cold. She couldn't look back as he called to her, and the shallow breaths she was taking weren't enough as she tried desperately to rationalize what had just transpired between them.

She only stopped walking when she felt his strong hands gripping her shoulders, turning her back towards him, and she tried in vain to remain as cold as the snow soaking their skin.

"We can't do this. It's not supposed to happen," she stated quickly, avoiding his gaze as she tried to get away from him, from everything that just screamed him. She just wanted to get on her plane to Peru, and only return to DC when his fingerprints were off her skin. Off her heart.

"Please, don't freak out," he said, his eyes pleading with her as he caught her gaze, seeing that unshed tears had now replaced the desire and passion from just seconds ago.

"How can I not? We're partner, friends, not lovers. We're not supposed to feel this way," she said, almost begging him to agree. She stared at him for a second, hoping they could forget their momentary lapse of judgment, even though she was sure she would never forget the way his lips fitted perfectly against hers, and how his tongue had explored her, making her weak as she felt desired, wanted… loved.

"I can't be sorry, that wouldn't be true. I want this. I want you and me. I want us..." he said, taking her hand in his in an attempt to make her understand.

"We're not meant to feel this way," she reiterated, taking her hand from his, desperate to run from his comforting scent, his lingering taste and warmth.

"Who knows? Only we can decide that," he said, running to stand in front of her as she turned to leave. "Come with me. Stay with me tonight; spend the day with me and Parker tomorrow." Taking her shoulders, he wished he could make her say she would stay. For him, forever. "Just… stay."

She didn't answer, only looked at him for a few seconds as two tears trickled down her cheeks before dropping to the ground, leaving tiny imprints in the snow.

"I'm going to Peru tonight," she said, voice cracking but her decision painfully clear. Without further explanation, she turned on her heels and walked back into the ballroom, trying hard to overcome the burning sensation in her throat as she felt her heart constrict inside her chest. Was this how a heartbreak felt? She didn't know, but one thing was she knew: it hurt, too much.

Booth could only watch helplessly as she went, disappearing from his view. The snow was still falling around him, and the flakes nestled in his hair, on his shirt, everywhere. He didn't care. He felt numb. Tired. Exhausted. They shared the perfect first kiss, and he was so sure she felt it as much as he did. But maybe it was just his wishful heart playing tricks. He should have known it would be like this; he should have known she would run from him. But that didn't make it hurt any less.

Clenching his cold fist, he felt the presence of the wings between his fingers. Sure, she might not have her wings anymore, but she still had her legs, and it was those legs that took her away, step by step, from him.

Stories from his childhood echoed in his mind as he stood in the frozen garden, holding what she had left behind. But this wasn't a fairy story. Prince Charming never felt like his heart had been ripped in two when Cinderella had run off into the night.

Part of him wanted to chase her, to plead with her and make her understand, but he knew that, unlike Cinderella, Temperance had chosen to leave and had left because of him.

Feeling the biting cold seeping through his shirt and into his skin, Booth let the snow come crashing down on his heart as well in hopes of numbing the pain. Defeated, he let the fairy wings drop from his hand as he walked slowly back inside, not bothering to watch them sink to the snowy ground.

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**Okay, now keep in mind that a dead author can't write!!! So put the guns, knifes and sharp objects down, okay? That's right, good. Now you can take all that frustration down on that little button, you see it? That's right, now hit it, I promise you'll fell better!!! **

**And my beautiful people, we are two chapter from the end! So show me that you're still with me and leave me that review I love (no name calling, please!)**


	16. How To Catch A Fairy

**A/N: Okay, so here we go again!!! The review were so good, I was so happy with everyone that left a review, you guys seriously rock!!! I will reply to them in time, so hang in there!!! **

**Thanks to bertie for being the best beta ever!!! Our relationship is very simbiotic!!! Get it, simbiotic? Yeah, I'm a bit to happy!!! Also, an angst alert to TVObsessee (I heard you loud and clear!!!), so please don't give me a hard time! HEHE**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

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**_Christmas Eve... Later that night..._**

* * *

How did it all come down to this? Brennan didn't know. All her feelings were still boiling up inside her, choking and confusing her as she tried desperately to find regain necessary control. But that was difficult, if not impossible. 

Standing inside her apartment after arriving home, all the events of the evening came rushing back into her mind. The dancing, the strolling, the kissing… and the running. Or rather, the walking. As much as she had wanted to run till her legs gave out, she'd been unable to even give him that, instead just shutting herself down and walking away from him as if he was no-one.

Slowly, her treacherous feet led her to her room, and with numb fingers she pulled his dinner jacket off, shivering at the cold that replaced his phantom embrace. But she didn't care; it didn't matter anymore. Maybe if she was cold enough, her outside would match her inside.

Unzipping her dress, she let the pink fabric pool at her feet, not even bothering to pick it up as she searched her closet for warm clothes. She knew her cab would come soon, to take her to the airport and to a foreign land where fairy wings and kisses would be out of her thoughts. At least, that was what she desperately hoped.

Dressing herself in a blouse and jeans, she slipped her fingers inside her navy gloves, tempted to change them for her white pair, but deciding that they just brought back overwhelming memories of sensations, tastes and scents.

Shrugging all thoughts away, she picked up her packed suitcase, rolling it into the hall before sitting on her couch and staring blankly at the wall in front of her. Now that her mind was clear, and her body was still, she could no longer suppress her emotions.

Leaning back, she felt her eyes burning with unshed tears. Why did they let it happen? How could they do something like that, one moment of weakness and passion that could very well destroy one of the only strong points in her life?

She felt the tears trickle down her cheeks, warm against her cold face and accompanied by a bitter taste in the back of her throat as fears rose up like nausea. Could they go back to the way they were? Would he ever forgive her for leaving?

She wasn't someone who cried a lot, always keeping her emotions in check with her cold and detached exterior acting like a mask, protecting from all the hurt and pain.

But there was no shield anymore. He'd shattered her mask into pieces, leaving her with raw emotions which she had no idea how to control. And she feared this now, the first-time sensations, the taste of him against her tongue, the feel of his hands on her body, his fingers tangled in her hair.

As good as it felt, she knew was wrong. How could it ever work? It couldn't. She had no doubt in her mind that in time, she would no longer be his main concern, and that someone else, someone normal and alive, would come along, leaving her abandoned once again to pick up the pieces of her heart.

She couldn't face losing him, and the thought of this hurt more than anything. She needed him, more than she ever thought she could need anyone, and more than he would ever know. But she also needed the balance, the control she had over her emotions, and he made her so unstable.

She wanted to forget, to run away and come back only when their kiss was a blurred memory, like a scene from a childhood movie. But as she closed her eyes, trying to calm her heart as it slammed against her chest, she couldn't get away. Behind her eyelids, she saw his face, and the look of hurt as she told him she was leaving broke her heart.

But she was doing this for them, a last effort to save what once was from what could never be. Wiping away her tears, she made up her mind, the decision far harder than it should've been. She would go to Peru, deal with her bones, and when she came back, he would understand her reasoning. Everything would be explained, logic would win out, and their destroyed partnership would be rebuilt as new.

As her thoughts drifted to less complicated times, when the feel of his lips against hers was only a fantasy, she heard her buzzer go, signaling that the taxi driver was downstairs, waiting for her. Running quickly, she grabbed her coat and purse along with her small suitcase, and hurried out, locking the apartment door behind her.

Opting to take the stairs instead of the elevator, she made her way quickly to the cab, fearing that she might change her mind at any time if she wasn't out fast enough. When she stepped outside, Brennan was greeted by the driver, and with a smile he took her suitcase, placing it in the trunk while she seated herself in the back.

"Where to, miss?" the driver asked as he sat behind the wheel, looking at her in the rearview mirror.

"Dulles airport, please." He nodded and started the car, driving off through the DC streets.

As she watched the lights outside from the taxi window, she wished it was still days ago, when everything was fine, and she was safely tucked inside his car, sharing candy and laughter. Now, everything had changed, and she no longer felt safe.

When the car first neared the airport, she flinched. Once inside that plane, there was no going back. She would return days from now, and deal with the problems left behind.

She was startled as her phone started to play the chorus of the Rolling Stones, "She's a Rainbow". Making a mental note not to let Angela pick her own ring tone in future, Brennan turned the cell phone off, throwing it back inside the bag without picking up the call.

She knew what her friend wanted, but she had no strength left to face or talk to her now, since the possibility of Angela convincing her to stay was too high to risk it. She had to go, and the artist would have to hear from her when she landed in Peru. As the taxi driver parked and retrieved her suitcase from the truck, she paid him with a sad smile before heading inside the airport.

Having purposefully brought a bag small enough to fit in hand luggage, she completed the self-service check-in quickly before heading through security, her mind elsewhere. Following the lights and arrows to her gate, she noticed with some dismay that her flight was delayed, but settled down on the lounge chairs anyway, hoping that a good book would take her mind off everything.

* * *

Sighing, Booth finally made his way inside his apartment later that night, his mind spinning with fragments of the night's events. 

As he had walked inside the ball room, tired and defeated, Angela had immediately come to his aid. Worried, she'd asked over and over again what had transpired between him and Brennan since the anthropologist had apparently walked straight from the ball without any other explanation than the tears on her cheeks.

Booth had refused to provide an explanation either, unwilling to retell exactly how Brennan had left him standing in the snow, holding his heart out as she stepped on it.

But even in his angered mind, he couldn't hate her. He shared some of the blame for this. He knew her, knew her nature and had still expected her to take a chance, only to be the one left feeling like he'd lost.

Angela had attempted to talk to him, guessing what had happened and trying to convince him that there was still time, but he didn't listen.

At one time, maybe he would've fought, done his best to persuade Brennan that it could work between them, but now he felt drained. He'd done all he could, he'd shown her just how magical the holidays could be, especially when spent with someone special, but as her fairy wings had dropped quietly to the snowy ground, it was as if all they'd shared together had fallen away with them, blending, forgotten, into the snow.

But it was still Christmas Eve, and while he had his son tomorrow lunchtime, that didn't lighten the prospect of a bitter, lonely night. Sighing, he walked over to the cabinet in his kitchen, taking out a bottle and a glass before sitting at his table. The only hope and magic he would find tonight would be at the bottom of a glass of Johnny Walker.

With steady hands he opened the bottle, pouring a generous measure into the glass. There was no point in going slow since his main goal was memory loss. Sweet memory loss to erase this night.

When he first lifted the glass, anticipating the taste of the bitter liquid covering the still lingering essence of her on his tongue, his cell phone vibrated, breaking his concentration.

Growling, he reluctantly took the phone from his back pocket, flipping it open. It was a text message from Angela. Without enthusiasm, he opened the message, bracing himself for a pep talk, but was surprised by its contents.

_She probably didn't want me to tell you, but I figured that text messaging doesn't count. Flight CM398 to Lima from gate B52 at Dulles airport. Hurry up and get her! Thank me later with gifts!_

He stared at the message for a few moments, before making his decision in mill-seconds; he could either drown his sorrows in this pathetic state while feeling sorry for himself, or he could go after her and fight for what he wanted. Tipping the contents of his glass down the sink, Booth settled, as ever, on the second option as he hurried out of the door.

* * *

She tried hard, but Brennan couldn't get pass the first page of the book, her mind unable to comprehend the meaning of the words before her. Irritated, she just shoved the book back in her bag, wishing desperately for a speedy departure. 

Her wish was granted as she heard a voice on the speakers calling all passengers for Flight CM 398 to Lima, with a change at San Salvador, to board at gate B52. Breathing a sigh of relief, she gathered her purse, suitcase and coat before joining the line to the desk.

As she watched each of the passengers handing their boarding tickets and passports for inspection, she felt her stomach turning and her skin suddenly felt too cold. Annoyed with herself, she dropped her case and purse to the floor as she wrapped her coat round herself.

However, she felt the unfamiliar texture of the material and cursed under her breath as she realized her mistake. In her haste to leave the apartment, she had picked up Booth's dinner jacket instead of the black coat she left on her bed.

Deciding that she wouldn't have much of a need for a coat in Peru, she kept the dinner jacket on for now, trying to stop herself from taking in the scent that still clung to the fabric. Taking her bag in one hand, she slipped the other one inside her pocket for warmth but was surprised to feel something cool between her fingers.

Bringing it out for inspection, she recognized it as the little silver tree Booth had given her just hours before. Sadly, she realized he never explained what it meant, and now she would probably never know.

"Miss?" prompted the man from behind her, and she apologized quickly as she moved forward, presenting her documents to the attendant. While the woman checked her passport and boarding card, Brennan continued to examine the small object in her hand, marveling at how such a tiny thing could hold so much meaning…

"Could I borrow a pen, please?" said Brennan to the attendant, who handed her one. Her decision was made and there was no turning back. She was well aware of that as she took her documents back and handed the note to the attendant with her best attempt at a smile and some hopeful instructions.

* * *

Meanwhile, Booth was running as fast as his legs would carry him as he bumped into almost everyone on his way to gate B52, apologies flying over his shoulders as he just kept running. 

He'd managed to charm his way through check-in and threaten his way through security by dropping the name of every senior FBI agent he could think of, and now he was just resorting to brandishing his badge in the face of anyone who tried to stop him.

Finally making it through the crowds of last-minute holiday-makers, he laughed in relief when he saw the attendants still standing by the gate, indicating that the flight was delayed and that he had made it in time.

With a smile on his face, he ran over to the woman on the desk, fighting to catch his breath. "Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI," he began automatically, before asking, with barely contained hope, "Is the flight for Peru on the runway?"

However, all his hopes were crushed as she answered apologetically, "I'm sorry, Sir, but the flight took off ten minutes ago."

The words took a moment to sink in, but when they did, he felt the familiar feeling of defeat wash over him, combined with an even greater sense of humiliation that he had put himself out there once more and pulled out all the stops, only to have her leave him again.

His shoulders slumped and he turned to leave, but before he could take two steps, the attendant called him back. "Did you say your name was Agent Booth?" she asked with a smile and he nodded.

Taking something from her pocket, she approached and handed it to him. "One of the passenger said that you'd show up here, and she asked me to give you this." The woman chuckled to herself. "Well, more like bribed me into it. Either way, she was adamant that you take it." Saying nothing further, she put up the rope across the gate and headed off into the airport.

Booth eyed what she'd left him with a heavy heart and a shallow breath. It was the silver tree he had given her, along with a folded piece of paper, his name written on the top in her neat writing. Her goodbye.

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**Okay, now there is only one more chapter left and it's Christmas Eve. Once again, I must remind you that a dead author can't write so, SplishSplash, put that rock down!!! You too, shadyrenee, lower the gun and wait!!! The next chapter will be up soon!!!**


	17. White and Blue Magic

**A/N: Okay, so here we are with the end!!! I can't believe we are here, on time everybody!!! **

**I want to thank everyone who stayed with me until the end, everyone who reviewed and everyone who read it!!! The reviews I got lit up my Christmas, and all the support meant more than I can say. This was a very pleasent fic to write, and I can honestly say that I will miss it, and I hope you will too!!! **

**Also, a very big thank you to bertie for guiding me through this fic and for being so helpful!!! You were an angel to me, and you made this fic possible (I honestly couldn't have done it so fast without you!!!) So again, THANK YOU!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

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_**Christmas Eve... Later that day...**_

* * *

It took every bit of strength Booth had in his body not to crumple the piece of paper up and throw it in the garbage along with the tree. He didn't need to read this, didn't need her parting words or empty apologies.

But eventually, his curiosity won out as he walked slowly out of the airport, clutching the silver tree in his hand as he found his parked SUV waiting. Only when he was securely seated inside in the warmth of his car did he let himself open the small yellow sheet of paper.

With his jaw clenched tight and his eyes hard, he unfolded her goodbye, his eyes following her neat writing.

_Booth, _

_I'm sorry for everything that happened; I didn't mean for it to end like this. You're my best friend, and I never wanted to hurt you like this, but as you've said before, I'm not very good with people, and when they get close, I get scared. _

_You got close, Booth. Too close. Closer than anyone has ever done before. So I'm asking you to forgive me for what I did, even though I know I probably don't deserve it.I have only one request, and I truly hope you do this. I got you a Christmas present, but I wasn't able to deliver it to you in person. I know you have a key to my apartment, so what I'm asking you to go there and get the gifts for you and Parker. I know I have no right to make demands, but this is really important to me. _

_I'm sorry for everything that happened between us, and I hope you can still look at me with the same affection I know was in your eyes. _

_Merry Christmas,  
Bones. _

With tired eyes, he reread her signature. 'Bones', not her given name, but his name for her. His way of letting her know that even when everything was crazy and her world was falling apart, he knew who she was, and he would always be by her side.

That just angered him. He was always there for her, no matter what, and she had just left him standing alone in the snow. Why couldn't she had stayed for him, with him? But no. She chose to leave, to go to Peru and abandon all his efforts to get her to believe in Christmas magic.

While his fingers absently played with the tree, he tried to make a decision. He could either go to her apartment to get the present she left for him, or he could just leave it all behind and go home to his bottle of Johnny Walker.

Neither option entirely pleased him as they were both Bones-free. But, hell, his entire Christmas was now Bones-free, since she was now miles away, having chosen skeletons over him.

Sighing, he stuffed the letter and the small tree in his pocket, turning the engine on and leaving the airport behind him. As his anger was still strong and alive, he wanted to get home and forget about her request. Maybe if he was fast enough he could get home, get drunk, pass out and get over his hangover before Parker came.

But what kind of Christmas plans were those? And how could he deny her the forgiveness he longed for after every sin he ever committed? She was human after all, and she made mistakes like everyone else.

He was hurt, more than she could ever know, but still his heart overruled his brain as he made a turn to her apartment building. He could regret this later if he had to. Right now, he had a present to collect. What was one more mistake when he had already committed the biggest one?

The streets were deserted as he drove through the center of DC, with all the children and parents tucked up in bed, waiting for Christmas morning. A grim smile flickered across his face when he saw that it had gone midnight, and was now official Christmas Day.

He reached her apartment in thirty minutes and took several deep breaths before stepping out of the car. Looking up, he was painfully aware of her apartment window, everything dark, abandoned just like himself.

Entering the building, he chose to take the stairs as it gave him a small amount of time to get used to the fact that he wouldn't find her there, sipping a glass of wine while waiting for him to arrive with Thai food.

As he came to her floor, legs and heart feeling heavier, his eyes fell on her apartment door. 2B. Searching his pockets, he located his keys. Taking a small silver key with a B carved into the metal, he slowly slid it inside the lock, and hesitantly pushed the door open.

The first thing he noticed through the small opening was light. Blue, white, blue, white. Confused, he opened the door open all the way, and the sight made his eyes open wide and his heart skip a beat.

There was blue and white everywhere. Christmas cards sat on all available shelf spaces and the bookcases were lined with tinsel. In the corner, a pine tree stood proudly with all the presents under it, decorated beautifully with the crystal angels he had bought her and tiny white and blue lights. White, like the pale skin of the woman he loved. Blue, like the eyes that were staring back at him.

"I didn't have time to wrap it," she said as she stood beside the tree. Slowly, she took a nervous step towards him, afraid of his reaction. But he didn't say anything, unable think of the right words as she watched him, the white and blue twinkling of the lights illuminating her features.

"But…" he whispered, trying to understand what was happening as he had just left the airport heartbroken.

She seemed to read his mind as she took another step forward, now just a few feet from where he stood in her lounge. "I needed time to get this ready so I asked the attendant to give you that note."

"But when did you leave the airport?" he asked, confused and still hurt. "Why didn't you call me?"

"I left as my flight started boarding." She took another step towards him, anxiety starting to show on her face. "I didn't call because I didn't know if you'd even come to the airport. After what happened..."

"Why?" he asked, his voice colder than she expected, but she knew she was the one to blame.

"I was afraid," she said softly, closing the distance between them as they stood face to face, eyes locked together. "I was afraid that you would leave me, like everyone else did. I was afraid that, if I let you in, it would ruin everything, and that I would lose you."

"You could never lose me," he said, harsher then he intended. "I thought you knew that. I thought you knew me better than that."

"I know," she choked out, a small tear running down her cheek. "But in the gardens... I couldn't think straight. I just wanted everything to go away."

"Do you want what happened between us to go away?" he asked, afraid of her answer. If she said yes, he would accept it. It would take some time to forget, but he would respect her choice, her decision.

"No," she said in a small voice, so softly he almost didn't hear her. Almost.

"You don't want to forget?" he asked, the hope in his voice betraying him as he tried to keep himself from smiling widely.

"I don't want to forget," she repeated, more firmly this time. Another tear fell, but this time his hand cupping her cheek stopped it before it fell.

"What made you change your mind?" he asked, amazed as he wiped the traces of her tears away with his thumb, feeling her soft moist skin against his.

"Your tree," she said, placing her hand in his as she elaborated, "I was just about to board the plane when I found that tree in my pocket, or better yet, your pocket. It reminded me of everything you've done for me these past few years. And how hard you tried to make me believe in Christmas. You made Christmas for my family, Booth."

"It was all for you," he said, enjoying her soft touch as her hand came up to his cheek.

"I know, and I realized that by leaving, I was abandoning you in the same way I was afraid of. I was inflicting the same pain that I was trying to avoid," she said, taking his hand in hers as she squeezed them tightly together. "I'm sorry, Booth. I'm so sorry." Terrified that he would say no, she asked bravely, "Can you forgive me?"

Her heart leapt as he broke into a smile. "Of course I forgive you, Bones. I don't make sense without you."

She smiled, hugging him tightly in relief while he just held her, feeling all the despair and pain from just moments ago leaving his body as he was filled with new sensations. Contentment, joy, happiness, along with the love that had been growing over the last few weeks. "Will you spend Christmas with me?" he asked, stroking her hair lovingly as he felt her breath against his neck, warm and intimate.

She relaxed the hug, keeping her body close to his as she watched him with a small smile. "Actually, I was hoping we could spend it here," she said, and he smiled at her with a bit of uncertainty.

"Are you sure? 'Cause I have Parker tomorrow and-"

He was cut off as she placed a finger over his mouth, just as he had done to her on their first non-date. "I've got his presents packed so we can take them round to your house at lunchtime and I already Googled some recipes so I can help you two make dinner tomorrow night," she said, moving her hand down to his chest as she added hopefully, "I just really want to feel what it's like to have Christmas morning in my own home."

He sighed with mock annoyance but was unable to hide his smile. "How can I say no to an offer like that?"

She smiled brightly, lacing her arms over his neck again as she held him tight. Contentment washed over her as she felt she had made the right decision, the best she could have made. And everything was saved by a small silver tree.

Then it hit her and she pulled away from him slightly. "You never told me what that tree meant," she said, her curiosity always on high alert. He grinned, enjoying her eager expression as he reached into his back pocket. Stunned, she watched as he produced a blue velvet box and handed it to her.

"Open it," he urged her, excited yet nervous about her reaction.

She did, and gasped in surprised. "Booth…" she whispered, her eyes shining as she lifted her head to face him. "It's beautiful."

"It's a charm bracelet," he said, reaching for the delicate silver chain. He clasped it on her right wrist, caressing her skin as he spoke, naming all the intricate charms, "There's a car, for all the fights we have about driving; a gun for all the times you pester me for a weapon; a dolphin, in memory of your mother; a bone, for the job you love so much and a heart, for, well, you know..."

He trailed off, shifting anxiously, but for once, she was the one to give him a smile of heart-warming reassurance. "And the tree?" she asked, eyes sparkling in the lights from the tree. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the small tree, clasping it on an empty link.

"The tree is for the day you won my son's heart," he said, and she had tears in her eyes as he finished. "Do you like it?" he asked, hesitantly.

"I love it," she said, tracing the small charms with her fingers. "Thank you, Booth."

"You're welcome," he said, replied with a smile.

A forlorn expression came over Brennan's face as realization dawned. "Booth, your gift... It's nowhere near as-"

He interrupted her, not needing to hear any sort of comparison. "You're all I need. More than enough," he said, and leaning over, their lips met.

Slowly at first, a tentative contact as they both seemed to smile against the other's lips. However, slow didn't last long as Brennan grabbed the lapels of his jacket, bringing their bodies closer as she gained entry to his mouth, stroking his tongue against hers as she explored him, relishing the taste she now was familiar with.

Feeling his arms wrap around her, she couldn't help but think that none of her previous kisses were quite as good as the few ones she had shared with Booth. As she kissed him, it was as though all sensations were stronger, higher, better. The simple feel of his lips against her mouth, his tongue caressing hers was somehow more passionate and more intimate that every night of sex she'd ever had.

When they finally broke apart, she smiled up at him, still enjoying the contact between their bodies. "Does this mean you're giving us a chance?" he asked, taking a deep breath as their foreheads rested together.

"I guess I am if it means I can kiss you anytime I want," she said, laughing as she leaned in to do just that.

Pulling away with a smile on his own lips, he inquired, "Do you believe in Christmas now?"

"I'm definitely open to the concept," she said, kissing his finger as he brushed it playfully against her lips.

"And what about magic?" he asked, and she laughed out loud.

"That I'm so not sure about," she said with a glint in her eyes as her mouth hovered teasingly above his.

"Then I guess I'll have to convince you," he shrugged with a wicked grin, and she smiled as he pulled her into another kiss.

There was magic, alright. In each one of their kisses, in every feather-like touch. There was magic in every look of passion, every heated fight and every warm apology. After all, there was nothing more magical in the world then lovers' meeting.

* * *

**Okay, so there you have your happy ending!!! I hope it was satisfactory, and I hope it melted your hearts!!!**

**I know a lot of you won't read this until Wednesday or later, but I honestly hope that you will leave me a review as a late Christmas present!!! It doesn't matter if you read it on New Years, just let me know what you think, let me know how you feel about my ending!!! With a lot of joy, I say goodbye!!!**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!**


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